Shizuma Hanazono - Licence to Flirt: Wireless Connection
by imagine-tht
Summary: The title explains it all. Its a James Bond/Spooks type story. Shizuma is the Etoile, the top agent of Astraea whose mission is to find out who wants the stolen plans before trouble comes calling. Only to find that trouble is just around the corner, both work and personal.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: ****Hello all :) This story popped into my head when i heard about the new JB film coming out. A female JB and i thought it fitted the cast of SP so i tried to write** **one. I'll see how it goes. For those that are waiting for my Mythical Few final, please accept my apologies in how slow i am in wrting it. I am writing it I promise! Anyway back to this story i hope it gets more interesting as the chapters progress, cause honestly i dont like how this one came about. Well i'll let you read on :) **

**Disclaimer: I'll say this only once! I dont own Strawberry Panic! Nor do I own anything that is tied to films in this story. I borrowed them is all! **

**_Shizuma__ Hanazono- Licence to Flirt: Wireless Connection_**

**Chapter One**

_Somewhere in Europe_

The weather couldn't get any worse. Gale force winds howled through the night, the rain pounded down hard making the air cold and visibility nil. There was even a hint of a rumble, meaning that there was a good chance of thunder and lightning coming into play. It was a night like this sane people stayed in the comfort of indoors, unless you happen to be an unfortunate bugger who had the night watch. For the main factory in town, this was the case for the security detail there. The factory could be described as your average one; it had slanted tiled roofs, barred windows with a huge stone wall surrounding it. That's where the similarities ended. A rotation of armed guards patrolled the grounds and buildings with the aid of cameras whirring away and spotlights shone brightly on the grounds below. The guards huddled in their mackintoshes with hands stuffed as deep as the pockets would allow. Some were even lucky enough to hide under the small ledges that the roof provided, for a brief while, until their rota beckoned them to another part of the compound. All eyes outside were oblivious.

Against the darkness a black figure was bracing themself against the storm, moving swiftly and agilely along the wall top, crouching down low when the searchlights glared overhead and carefully made their way on in. Coming to a section of wall they stopped. Lying as flat as they could they stayed still, listening above the noise of rain and wind for the guards. A low chatter reached the figures ears, three different pitches and tones were heard in the small lookout hut. Crawling forward to the stone edge, a quick look down confirmed it, before speedily removing themselves from sight. The figure reached to their leg removing a steel sharp point, jamming it into the wall embedding it deep. Giving it a good shake the point stayed in and held firm. Shrugging their shoulders a coil of black rope came loose, unwinding it slightly and dropping one end off the wall landing to the right of the hut. The other they fixed to the point, knotting it tightly and tugging making sure all was set. A loud bawl of laughter made the figure pause and crouch low, a dim light lit up the small area, as the door of the lookout hut opened up.

"You lost Sam now take it like a man!" a voice yelled

"That's the last time I'm playing poker with you guys" a moaning voice cut in.

Crawling forward right to the ledge she spotted a man pulling his mackintosh closer around him, jamming on his hat to try and cover his head as two others stood in the doorway. With a well-practised flick he slung his gun on his shoulder and set off. Muttering curses to the men left in the relative warmth. With a thud the door closed, the light snuffed out and the dark figure went back to their task. Checking the rope knots for the last time, with a once over of themselves, made their way back to ledge holding on tight to the rope. The wall was high enough that if you fell, there was a good chance of broken bones or very badly bruised limbs, so it was best to be cautious when sailing on down. All was going smoothly, as you can get when it was pouring down with rain making the rope that much slippery, when half way down trouble came calling. Slipping down further before a solid foothold could be gained, a man merged from the lookout hut. The wall gave them some hold with some stones jutting out slightly, as they grabbed on tight and pressed themselves to the wall. The guard took their time, a cigarette smoked in his mouth. Grit was dislodged from the wall, lost in the torrential rain. The guard however was getting jumpy.

"Hey Benny you see anything on them cameras?" the guy shouted

The intruder released one hand from the wall and went straight to their waist, a small metal lump now held securely in their palm. It was pointed directly at the smoker.

"Now you mention it, the southern sector is frozen. Could be technical or we have an intruder" a voice yelled on back

The smoker cursed. Flinging his remaining cigarette to the mud, he turned back around missing a black shadow landing behind him. He did however hear a loud squelch. His hand went right to his holster on his belt, when another hand stopped him. A right punch he swung towards the intruder with a cry, connecting with nothing, yet one landed on his abdomen, left him doubled over. His arm was bent backwards as once more he tried to fight back, until a sharp pain in his neck silenced him. The figure removed the metal lump with a dart still embedded in the guard's neck. The smoker slumped to the floor and the intruder gave the hut all the attention. Another big set man appeared in the doorway, not coming too far as he looked over the grounds. All he saw was the darkness of night with the rain lashing down. Reaching for the handle of the wooden door, something connected hard with his wrist. Benny screamed out in pain as he held his wrist to his chest, as he saw another fist swinging towards his head. Ducking down low, he dodged the hit and scuttled back taking in the fighter in more detail. Rising to his full height he faced them and stood firm. The camera console behind him, he tried to edge his way backwards, nearer to the red button that would call for backup. The figure figured this out. So with fast reflexes they ran forward, dodging one punch whilst landing one of their own yet didn't see the left hook until it connected hard with their lower left side. Bending over in pain they were roughly shoved to the floor, turned the intruder on their front and was about to handcuff them. Until a jolt shocked him back. A small metal pin embedded itself in the wrist with wore trailing from there to a bracelet. Whilst Benny was shaking from the shock the intruder turned the tables back onto their side. With both hands clasped together they delivered a knockout blow, which quickly left Benny unconscious.

With the pain still sore on their left side they tied up the guard and also gagged him. The screens showed all was normal elsewhere in the compound, as the black figure quickly took one of the coats remaining before once more striding out into the rain. Passing by the unconscious tied up guard that was hidden to the side of the hut. Moving like they belonged there, walking with a purpose, the intruder strode deeper into the factory's depth. Believing in their disguise they pulled up their collars hiding more of their face, as they passed two guards going in the opposite direction, with only a nod to acknowledge their passing. Ducking into an alley, they cut off the main walkway as they walked more quickly to their destination. The main building loomed ahead, yet the figure cut to the right away from the main entrance. A door was in sight as the figure tried to open it. It was locked tight. Giving it a shake hoping it was just stuck, with no such luck.

A curse slipped from their mouth at the extra trouble. Once more a hand went to their belt removing a small flat circular gum. Pressing it firmly on the lock, they then pushed firmly on the middle of the gum. It started to fizzle and spurt as it burned into the lock. Glancing all around, the intruder stayed on high alert as they waited for it to finish. With a thud and a click the door swung open as the figure moved inside. It was certainly not what you expected; the room was comfortably furnished with what you expect in a stylish flat. Muddy footprints were the only thing out of place as they showed the direction of the intruder. Through another door they left which brought them out into the main stockroom of the factory. Whoever decided the layout of the place didn't do a good job.

Ducking down behind a large barrel, she heard voices come right by and close. Their jabber mainly fixating on the popular women, in the tavern a few blocks away. The high society socialites of the island tended to gather there, as well as some from the mainland. When the noise had abated did they dare to raise their head and come out from their hiding place. Moving even more nimbly than before, un-wrapping their belt as they went. Starting one from end they squeezed out the inner filing, a white thick substance came out, as they laid it out on top of the barrels all in a line. In the end was attached a small device, which was then somehow linked to the watch as they pulled out the winder and inserted it in the white gum. When it was done they flung the now useless scrap of fabric to the ground. Something made them pause as they quickly ducked underneath the barrels, just in time to see and hear a duet of loudmouth guards walk straight on through. Waiting patiently after they went the intruder got up and looked around, sparing no glance at their work as they hurried back out the way they had come.

The freezing rain hit them full blast once more as they went outside, straight across the compound and once more heading in the direction of the hut. The rope was still there, no one would see it if they weren't looking for it so with care they climbed back up, slipping here and there but sure enough they made their way to the top in one piece. Crouching low made their way back along the wall and down the other side. All safe and sound, apart from the dull pain on their left side, but no job is without risk. Pulling off the black balaclava, it showed the figure to be the most unsuspecting person you would ever think it to be. Beautiful features which highlighted yellow intense eyes framed by long eyelashes, inviting lips and a mane of long silver hair which at the moment was getting more wet and bedraggled. Heading away from the factory she took a few turns and crossed a few deserted roads, stopping next to a black run down car. Her ride out of there. Climbing in she drove to the livelier part of the city, on the outskirts she stopped next to a small house, the windows was lit and the garden carefully cared for. It certainly gave a homely sort of feel. The woman killed the engine and rushed out of the car, standing underneath the door's porch ringing the bell she waited. It didn't take too long. A flick of the curtains and a rattle of chains a moment later then the door opened.

"Quickly in the other room all your items are already waiting" the elderly woman hurried her in.

The figure moved into the warm dimly lit house and without pausing made her way into the next room. A little bit ashamed bringing in all the rainwater with her. Clothes were laid out on the bed, all of it quite fanciful wear, lying next to it were accessories. If you could call a small handgun an accessory. Removing her drenched tight black attire, she stuffed it into the duffel bag that was on the floor, before towelling herself down and using the hairdryer on her sopping wet hair. Sighing in pleasure at the warm hot air and the feeling of warmth invaded her body that had all but fled earlier. As quickly as she could she got dressed in the fancy clothes that were laid out, making sure she was all dandy. Putting the accessories on her as well, the handgun securely strapped on her thigh hidden by the dress. When she checked herself over, noticing how the black tight fitting dress emphasised her curves, she picked up her bag and coat and strode back into the living room. The elderly woman placed a fresh hot cup of tea on the table, before getting one for herself. Depositing the extras by her side she calmed herself down, letting the hot brew work its magic. Not a word was said, only the soft local music could be heard. A car horn blew twice outside. The silver haired woman drew back the netted curtains taking a look at who it was. A sleek silver Aston Martin was parked across the drive way. Not what you would expect to see when you looked out your front window. Humming in approval the woman turned back to elderly woman, who was fidgeting with the hem of her cardigan.

"Thank you for this." The young woman held out her hand

"Good luck" shaking the proffered hand.

With that the silver damsel tugged on her coat, grabbed the duffel bag and made her way outside to a nice welcome. Another woman with umbrella ready and waiting was all set to go.

"All set?" they asked

"Yes. Here are the keys to the other car and my bag. I hope you like driving back in that" she said smugly

"Right after driving the martin I doubt it" looking quite sullen about it.

"Don't pout Yaya, you'll get another chance to drive one again I'm sure"

Looking much happier at the thought, the two made their way to the car, with Yaya holding the umbrella over the other whilst she got settled in. Yaya bent near the window, when it fully opened.

"He's already in the club been there for a few hours now. I don't think I need to say good luck etoile." Yaya grinned

"I'll take all the luck. You'll know when I'm done" winding up her window before starting the car.

It didn't take long for her to drive to the club, breaking the speed limit certainly helped in her favour. The club was a popular one as she drove into the parking bay, liking how eyes popped out when they saw her car, even more so when she finally got out. A queue stretched from the entrance to way back along the street, bright neon lights glowed out with music blaring out the speakers.

"Don't scratch the paintwork" she told the boy who looked delighted in being able to drive the car.

Handing the parking attendant her keys she strutted up to the door where two thick set bouncers kept guard. Giving her a good look over, this tested her patience and ability not to eye roll, it happened so many times it just became annoying. The guard nodded his head and opened the door; the music hit her full force as she stepped on through. Removing her coat handing it over to one of the staff she took in her surroundings. The dance floor was packed with bodies moving with the music, the DJ worked the consoles, the bar was full on one side with tables scattered around the edges full all around. Looking further on back as she walked nearer the bar, she noted private booths were allotted to some and most of them made the most of the privacy given.

"What can I get for you?" A chirpy voice demanded

Looking to the barwoman she smiled mischievously, stepping right up close crossing her arms onto the bar as she leant forward closer to the woman.

"I'll have an orgasm please" whispering seductively

The poor barwoman blushed deep red, either at the cocktail itself or the woman who whispered her request, it wasn't certain but she continued on with a sight tremor. It was her work after all.

"On its own or on the rocks?"

Her smile deepened as she answered "hmm… on its own is no fun. On the rocks if you wouldn't mind."

The woman nodded her head and rushed off to complete it leaving the tease to chuckle away. Her drink came minutes later, an eyebrow rose when it was a different person who delivered it and with a sip she gave the booths another deeper look, walking along the bar side as she drew nearer.

"Ah here she is" A loud bellow called out

The woman eyed him intently and with a small smile she seductively made her way over. It was safe to say she drew all eyes her way, both men and women, as she carefully dodged the other patrons to sit down in front of the man from earlier. Grey business suit with a deep purple shirt, with the top couple of buttons open. Thick rimmed glasses perched on his long nose with deep brown hair cut stylishly. Joining her were two others, all of whom were sitting to attention on either side of him, bodyguards by the look of them. The suit, radio in ears and not to mention the bulge at their side signalling they were packing. The classic look. Coughing a little due to the cigar smoke, the woman took it in her stride as she continued to stare right at him. The man was obviously a little drunk but nothing clouded his speech when he spoke.

"I was wondering if you were ever going to show up. I hate to be kept waiting."

Resting her half-drunk drink on the table she got more comfortable, legs crossed and hands resting on her stomach she just stared right at him. The sound of the music and the loud chatter of people made it hard for anyone to overhear them, or even care made it the perfect spot to draw up deals.

"So do my clients. I hope you have what I asked for" she warned him.

One of the goons got restless at the accusation as he brought his hand to his side of his jacket, the side with the gun when she threw him a deadly glare. The cigar smoking man also shot him a glare, which made him look quite ashamed.

"All is ready. The consignment is ready to be packed up and shipped out tomorrow. My end of the deal is secure."

"Monsieur Renault it's been a blast"

Turning the face of her watch, she waited for the explosion to back up her words. Not even a rumble was heard. Things were not looking good. The two goons looked to Renault for orders, which with a nod of his head they quickly showed their hands. With two guns pointing point blank at her there was little resistance she could do as they came and stood behind her blocking all routes away.

"I hope we are not going to have to do this the hard way are we?" His accent coming more pronounced

_Back at the Warehouse_

A guard doing his normal rounds ended up in the stock part of the warehouse. Walking bored on by he noticed something that struck him as odd. A piece of fabric was lying about down by his thick booted feet. Kneeling in for a closer look he noticed it was cut on one end and hollow.

"What the hell? No one wears anything like this." He picked it up gingerly as he took a good look around.

The dim lights of the warehouse, along with his flashlight, he scanned the area near by coming quickly to rest on the white substance lining the barrels. Walking over he stared hard at the gummy stuff that lined a few barrels, taking in the small device attached to the end. It wasn't good whichever way he looked at it.

"Best call it in" as he reached for his radio.

He never got that far as a sharp blow to the nape of his neck knocked him unconscious. A shadowy figure moved nearer the device embedded at the end, making some small adjustment.

_Back to the deal_

The woman looked at her watch, cursing herself at not setting it right at the start. Things were about to become more interesting. Reaching for her drink to calm down her nerves which were acting up, she continued to wear her calm façade as she looked to Renault.

"Difficult? Tell me when were you going to inform me about the way in which you acquired my request?"

It certainly wiped the smirk off of his face. Renault stubbed out his cigar angrily as he reached for his whiskey gulping it down in one. Banging it back on the table when he finished, making the other glass rattle in protest.

"Call off your goons and lets settle this amicably" she reasoned to him

Renault acted as if he didn't hear her at first, keeping the cold stare on her at all times. Shrugging her shoulders as if in indifference, she took another sip of her drink when he finally relented and jerked his head to the two guards. Instead of sitting back down they moved slightly away from the table, close enough to act yet far enough away to give them some privacy.

"I'm guessing you want a deal of some kind" Renault spat

"It does create some problems for me and my clients at the authenticity of it all."

"I hope you don't plan on anything dramatic, I have friends that can make it very troublesome"

"My dear Renault. Being dramatic is what I do and as for trouble, well that's my middle name." she sweetly told him

Before any more words could be said or actions done, the whole bar rocked as an ear splitting boom was heard. The music stopped as people rushed out of the building, a few screams and shouts could be heard. All of it focused on something about fire and explosion. The woman took it as her cue to leave. Another boom went off which sent people into panic mode. The woman stood up and quickly evaded the hands that tried to grab her, delivering a well-aimed punch to the face of one, whilst her other reached for her weapon bringing it sharply on the back of the head of the other goon. Twirling to face Renault whose wide eyes and pale face grew more pronounced as he saw the gun pointed at him, looked terrified at her.

"Do you feel lucky" she pulled the trigger once as the gun fired true.

* * *

**AN: Please review and tell me what you think :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Sunlight glittered in through the windows, heralding a brand new day, bringing with it a warm fresh breeze. The white netted curtains ruffled inwards, as if dancing in tune with the gentle wind. A musical tone broke the peaceful atmosphere, alerting the owner of their presence. A mumbled groan joined the tone, as they finally awoke, somewhat at least. In the sun kissed room, on a covered double bed, a pale arm emerged, snaking its way out seeking out the annoying device. After much tapping and bumping their way along the bedside table, the phone was now clenched tight in victory. Silver luscious hair framing sleep filled eyes, peeked out from beneath the covers, looking to the caller ID. With a resigned sigh, knowing this couldn't be good news, pulled herself gently into a seating position, with long toned legs dangling over the edge she flipped open the phone to answer.

"Sorry to disturb your vacation Etoile, but you are needed back at Astraea immediately. A car is being sent to pick you up." A cool collected voice informed her

"Oh well there goes my plans for today" the silver haired woman sighed, looking at the other occupant of the bed behind her.

"Don't be late. This is top priority" with a click they cut the call

The woman closed her phone, thinking a little on what she would expect when she arrived there. Her thoughts were cut short, when a lithe arm snaked its way over her chest and a warm body pressed up against her back. Now this was more her thing.

"Going somewhere?" the newly awoke girl groggily asked

"Duty calls" responding somewhat mournfully

"I thought you said you were on vacation?" the girl mumbled still half asleep

The etoile ignored her as she scanned the room for her waylaid clothes, seeing them strewn across the room. Heaving a little sigh she untangled herself from the other and started to get dressed. She barely took any notice of the girl who was now watching her intently, as she slipped on pieces of clothing. _'Last night was fun. I don't want the twenty questions this morning. We agreed it was only a one night thing. I hope she remembers that.' _No words passed and soon the silver haired woman was dressed and in the process of putting on her high heeled boots.

"Since this was a one off. Can I ask you something?" breaking the quiet streak

The etoile nodded her head as she pulled the last boot on turning her head and upper body a little to face the woman. A gentle hand reached out and stroked her cheek bringing a soft smile on the etoile's lips.

"What is your name?"

"Hanazono. Shizuma Hanazono" with a soft kiss to the woman's cheek she departed.

Astraea: the inside codename for Japans secret intelligence services. Closely linked to three schools of training: Miator; trains those who are sent to the field and for the higher chain of command. Spica; the independent nature of the school lets them to choose their own field of expertise, which can contribute from analysts to military to medical. Lulim; the designing school which can come in handy for selecting the gadget designers to the computer technicians. The job description requires so much more.

_Astraea's Headquarters _

"Good Morning." Shizuma greeted the woman as she closed the door to an office behind her.

A young woman with blue hair tied neatly into a bun with wisps either side of her face making her look more mature for her age. Dressed in a smart suit of black with a green shirt, she certainly made a first impression on whoever walked into the room. She was however the secretary and trainee assistant of M, so a certain image needed to be maintained. Her name was Tamao Suzumi. The girl whirled around to face the voice, only to nod her head then to continue looking through the file cabinets, picking up files only to replace them once more. Obviously there was something she needed to find, but to no luck.

Shizuma continued to watch her for a minute, more out of curiosity than checking her out. Crossing her arms she slowly made her way over to lean against the desk, just behind Tamao wondering what was happening in the other room. Her eyes made their way to the desk, filled with documents in both trays, computer on and waiting with documents spread all over. Quite the change from the norm since it was usually quite tidy than the mess it was in right now. Something caught the etoile's eye, which made her fight against a growing grin. Reaching over she plucked a folder off the desk and cradled it in her arms and waited. Tamao was getting more frustrated. A buzzer went off, the intercom on her desk which connected her to M called for her attention. Tamao strode over and pressed the call button.

"Yes M?" Tamao spoke calmly.

"Has Shizuma arrived? She's quite late."

"A minute ago I'll send her right in"

Shizuma just grinned at the girl next to her, she hadn't moved when the intercom went off so Tamao had to get right in close. She wasn't about to go in yet either, she still had something that was lost.

"Have you found that file?" M asked

"Still looking for that. I'm sure I had it a moment ago. I'll keep looking for it and I'll send etoile in right now."

Switching the com off Tamao straightened up and looked at Shizuma. Who in turn looked amused. _'I wonder how long it will take her to figure it out. I mean I'm not exactly hiding it am I? I wonder what mission they need me to do. Hopefully it's not like the last one, that man was the worst. I want real fun this time around.' _

"You can go right on through etoile, M and the Military Intellligence are waiting for you." Tamao gestured to the door.

Shizuma rose from her leaning position and nodded her head carefully making her way over. Turning back around to face Tamao she gave her a wide smile that did little impression on the girl.

"The folder it wouldn't be on a Sidney Havershack by any chance would it?" trying to sound innocent.

It didn't work since Tamao's keen eye saw the folder now in the agents grasp at her side. Shizuma saw her heave a heavy sigh then began to clean up her work station, not sparing her a glance. It was best for her to leave; from past experiences she could have quite a temper if she was provoked too much. Opening the heavy wooden door she made her way into M's huge office.

A huge mahogany table was the centrepiece of the room. Two double windows that nearly reached from the ceiling to the floor, with plain but rich drapes hanging to the sides let in the most light. Rich furnishings were placed around the room, with a small cosy seating area nearer the back of the room. Traditional and by the looks of it expensive, decorative pieces were found also giving it a more lived in feeling.

"There you are etoile. You are late" a stern voice scolded her

Meet Miyuki Rokujo, or commonly known as M, the person in charge of Astraea. Alumni of Miator worked her way quickly through the ranks, from field work partnered to the etoile then changing to set her sights on the top position. Her short blunette hair cut at the chin making look sharp and fine, her features were those of the traditional Japanese style beauty and cool all locked into one. Her sharp eyes were fixed on the late comer as did two other pairs; General Kaname Kenjo and Colonel Momomi Kiyashiki of the Military Intelligence division. The General with her boyishly cut hair; athletic frame and sly eyes fitted well her position. The Colonel however with her shoulder length hair and un-militarised attitude the two were contrasts in looks. However they made a good team, both alumni of Spica joined both at work and at the hip there was nothing if anything that got past them. Even if relations between them and M were a little strained. School rivalry it seemed never seemed to end.

Shizuma sat down on the last remaining chair facing Miyuki, the folder set on her lap as she waited for the meeting to start.

"Something never seems to change about you does it etoile." The General stated

"In what way?" a hint of warning entered Shizuma's voice

"It was either a good night, a girl or your usual time keeping that made you late" listed Kaname "then again with you it can be all three"

Momomi snickered behind a raised hand; Shizuma remained her cool façade as she looked straight at the sly woman. Miyuki just closed her eyes in resignation at the attitudes of the people in front of her. It happened way too often when these three got together.

"If my life is going to be an open book General then you're putting your own on the line too." Shizuma gave a small smile of pleasure as announced the last bit "especially as I know for a fact you're preference for women's bathrooms for your pick me up."

It worked. Shizuma watched as a small blush made its way onto the two officer's cheeks with both avoiding direct eye contact. _'That felt good!' _A small cough brought three heads back to the fore to see a bored expression tinted with annoyance on M's face as she sat upright with hands clenched together on the desk. Shizuma gave her best innocent smile as she once more waited for it to get started.

"Now you've all finished with the greetings shall we get started?" Miyuki spoke with nods of head as approval. "Etoile does the name of Meteor Universal mean anything to you?

"It's an independent research facility. Top scientists from all over the globe work there, under the main condition that all work is to be for the benefit for all." Shizuma intoned "So their slogan says"

Miyuki nodded her head at this "The folder in your hand is one who used to work there. He was found dead on an abandoned stretch of road. It was later discovered that he was working on something and it is now missing."

"What was it?" Shizuma looked around her

Momomi jumped right in "This is what he was working on" handing the etoile another folder this time with 'Top Secret' freshly stamped on the front "These are just the basic layout of his invention the real ones are AWOL."

Shizuma opened the folder looking over all the data that was in there, along with a picture of the deceased scientist, which she paid hardly any mind to. The door to the office opened with Tamao making her way to M standing to her right.

"In simplistic terms someone explain what this is" as she waved the folder around.

"Nicknamed the 'Trojan Horse'. It can adapt itself and enter any network and database that it has been sent to. Relaying all the information back to the owner. It will keep up its attack until it has the orders to return or if the main console has been destroyed, Chikaru Minamoto was positive on that score." Tamao dove in

"I can see why we are so interested in tracking it down now" Shizuma realised "how did no one know what he was working on? Surely someone would have squealed on him sooner"

"Someone did in the end" Kaname muttered

"Actually happy at the prospect. More grant money to go around" Momomi put in

"Stupid people" Kaname growled

"Back to the point" M butted in as she gave the two a pointed glare "In the wrong hands this 'Trojan Horse' can be quite dangerous, no intelligence of any kind would be safe. For us it would be catastrophic."

The room fell silent at her words. The only movement was Tamao pottering around a small side table, the sounds of clinking china and the pouring of tea filled the huge office. When the tea was graciously served, the topic was brought back into focus once more.

"Does the name Melinda Carter ring any bells Shizuma" Miyuki asked her friend as she sipped her tea.

Shizuma tried to mentally call upon the name, trying to get snippets to jog her memory. Unfortunately the name didn't ring any bells. Shaking her head to M that nothing was forth coming Miyuki continued.

"Miss Carter for her public image she's a Celebrity agent. In actuality she makes most of her money from acquiring plans of military and hardware mainly of weaponry. Then she sells them off to the requester or auctions it off. She's made quite a name for herself in the underworld. The men that killed Mr Havershack had her fingerprints all over it."

"We can prove this?" Kaname asked

"The plans have a tracking device in them. All of the work that is done in the facility has one installed. It seems there heading in the general direction of her manor." Tamao spoke up from M's side

"That's where I'll be headed" Shizuma nodded her decisively

"There's a contact ready and already in place at Melinda's hideaway. They should be able to help with whatever you need." Miyuki told her

"Anything I need?" giving M small smirk

"I'd love to see your face change if I mentioned that it was a male." Giving Shizuma her own smirk, as the etoile's brow crinkled at the unwelcome retort. "Anyway your job is to put another tracker on them, so we can trace where they go afterwards. Miss Carter is only the middle man, we want the big fish."

"Here are your personal papers etoile." Tamao said as she handed over a folder filled with different papers "you're passport and other are inside. You work for the IPR sector. I think you will fill the role all right"

"Yeah she can schmooze with the best of them" Momomi said with a smirk on her face

Shizuma stared hard at the Military Intelligence offer but to no effect. Turning her attention to the folder she flicked through the different papers, making a mental note to read more thoroughly later on. '_At least this job seems easy enough to learn. It's mostly as the Colonel say, a lot of schmoozing than actual work.' _

"I think that's mostly everything you will need etoile. You have your pick up time in that folder. Your exit point is in there too. When you complete it go there. We will pick you up within a small time window. Tamao will be your handler during this mission" M informed her looking a little worried.

"Tamao?" Shizuma cocked her head to the side as she looked from the said woman to her friend

Tamao just rolled her eyes. It was a well-known fact that Tamao was in training to be M's assistant, everyone knew but surprise surprise the etoile knew nothing about it. Obviously if it wasn't about her, or something she was interested in then Shizuma would completely ignore it.

"Yes. Tamao. All you need now is to see Chikaru and you're all set to go" M said in a hard voice.

Shizuma gave Miyuki a wide smile as she got to her feet, the folder firmly clasped in her hand. The two Military officers stood as well in one swift motion, a quick bow of their heads and a goodbye they left the room quickly, leaving a sneaky suspicion in Shizuma's gut.

Looking directly at Miyuki "What's got their knickers in a twist?"

"Apparently someone in their work area requested this to be made. Unofficially mind. There's a lot of pressure on them." She huffed a bit

"Great. Clean up mess mission then. I better have some fun then the last time Miyuki." Shizuma warned her

"Just be careful etoile. You seem to attract danger more than attention these days." Miyuki moaned

"You're wrong M." noticing the question in her boss's eyes "I'm a magnet for cute girls more than that" giving her a wink

"That will be all etoile" rolling her eyes in resignation as her top agent left the room chuckling.

* * *

Shizuma made her way down into the bowels of Astraea. The deeper she travelled into the depths, the less people and activity she saw. It was as if people avoided going down there, with what Shizuma knew of the lab and its personnel thought they were the smart ones. _'I would avoid the place too. The amount of weird gadgets that come about and not to mention the ones that backfire spectacularly. Chikaru the evil genius. I wonder about her sometimes *shudder*. I thought the three stooges would calm her down, seems they only spur her on. Poor Shion.' _

The lab, the birthplace of every gadget that every agent wore on missions was thought up, designed, built and tested was all done here. The basement level of Astraea was totally converted and filled with new and previous contraptions, while if you looked over all the mess that filled the place, you would see some half built and some, horrifyingly enough, destroyed. One wrong step in the laboratory and there was a good chance you would set something off. Shizuma always stopped before she stepped any further into the lab, looking around the vast space before she would move. Remembering quite clearly the one time she was nearly run over with a malfunctioning jet pack that the three stooges were fiddling with causing unbelievable mayhem. Certain she could walk safely enough on by; Shizuma entered the danger zone, her eyes searching for the creator among the tables plus the sectioned off areas as she went deeper in.

Chikaru Minamoto, not your average gadget extraordinaire, when you first see her you wouldn't even think to put her in the job description. When you think of the usual type; old, grey haired, snooty and very practical, it certainly isn't Chikaru at all. So you would be pleasantly surprised when you do. Chikaru has long black hair braids at each side with a red ribbon, large expressive eyes. Combined with her serene features she bares an aura of calm and a motherly instinct. However to those who know her, she has a reputation for teasing and snooping, mainly on the agents but especially the etoile.

Walking very carefully through the maze of the lab, she spotted a hunched figure near the back, long black hair a sharp contrast to the white lab coat, sat just opposite were the blast rooms. If she was there, the room was being used and since no three young women were in sight, meant they were inside. Shizuma couldn't decide if that was good or bad just yet as she walked up behind her. Shizuma looked cautiously over her shoulder to see what the woman was working on. Heaving a sigh of disbelief and amusement as Chikaru swirled around at the interruption, a few noodles quickly being slurped hastily. Shizuma grinned at her friend, giving the woman her space to tidy herself up.

"Sorry to interrupt your dinner Chikaru." Shizuma apologised "another all-nighter?"

"That's fine I had a call to say that you were coming. I totally forgot about it" Chikaru spoke as she cleaned up "So shall we get started?"

Shizuma followed Chikaru over to a wider and cleaner worktop where only a few gadgets were laid out. Before the gadgetier could speak Shizuma did a final check of the lab before speaking up.

"It's quiet in here Chikaru. Did one of the prototypes backfire? I don't see your usual entourage about you."

Chikaru looked around in mild bewilderment "What do you know. I wondered why it was so quiet. I hope it wasn't about those explosives I wanted to test try."

Shizuma stayed silent. _'Oh boy! The techies love her but sometimes even they think she is over enthusiastic. I would scarper too.' _The etoile just followed in her wake not wanting to interrupt the woman further as she stopped on one end of the worktable where the gadgets were placed. It was business here on out.

"Here is your new mobile etoile; it has all the usual on there, the fingerprint scanner, bug detector along of course with a few new apps." Chikaru smiled brightly handing over the phone.

Shizuma gave it a quick glance over, knowing it was her usual model she liked to work with as she placed it in her jacket pocket for safe keeping. Chikaru followed her every move and continued on.

"Your watch, once more the same gadgets apply so no need for me to remind you of them." Chikaru gave her the Rolex which was received with small hum of approval.

"You always know the way to a girl's heart don't you Chikaru" Shizuma teased her friend

"Didn't know you were that easy Shizuma. That's one I haven't heard yet" Chikaru gave her a piercing look.

Shizuma shrugged her shoulders and looked away. Sometimes having Chikaru for a friend really sucked, she could see through all the lies and burst them down in a flash. Now wasn't the time for this talk at all.

"Anything else Chikaru?" trying to change the subject

Chikaru kept up her piercing glare for a while longer, Shizuma kept her own eyes firmly away, inwardly sighing in relief when her friend finally stopped. Chikaru moved right on along as if the last few seconds didn't happen.

"Here we are." As she passed along a small white box, no bigger than a fingers length "these might come in useful."

Shizuma raised her eyebrow in confusion as she took another look at the box. It was the kind that contacts were stored in, since she only ever used them to change her eye colour the reason she needed these eluded her. _'Yet when did I ever have something so simple than eye contacts from Chikaru.'_ Fumbling a little with the catch she managed to open it, ignoring the small grin she was getting from her friend, with no surprise in finding the suspecting items inside. The only thing about them she found unusual were one they were clear and two they seemed to give off a slight green tinge. Looking up from her inspection she saw Chikaru haul a large duffel bag onto the table, immediately making her more cautious of what was to come.

"So what do these do? It looks like you forgot to add colour to them."

"Those are night vision contacts etoile, more discreet than the goggles for sure. Might be a bit uncomfortable but I'm sure you'll manage." Chikaru told her as she began to open the duffel bag.

Shizuma placed the contact box onto the table, watching every move the woman made. Knowing from past experiences that sometimes Chikaru's imaginative streak got the best of her. And not always in a good way. So it was quite a shock when a pair of sturdy boots, with a bit of heel was placed carefully onto the worktop. Shizuma glanced quickly from Chikaru, who was looking smug; to the boots wondering of this was just getting weirder.

"Going into fashion now Chikaru?" she asked sarcastically

Not rising to the bait the gadgetier looked quite serious as she gave her message "Now listen carefully etoile, these are only to be used in a dire emergency."

Shizuma looked remarkably unimpressed at the statement. You couldn't blame her really; they looked like a normal pair of boots how they would help her out in a dire emergency remained a mystery.

"Now listen carefully." Chikaru demanded as she showed a small buckle on one boot. "Turn clockwise to activate, when thirty seconds have passed pull sharply. All being well it will release small heat seeking explosives. Hopefully you won't be near anything flammable yourself."

Shizuma looked from the smug expression to the boots wondering if she just heard her friend right. There were small explosives in the boots heel. Certainly not what she was expecting. Shizuma shook her head at what could go wrong with the idea, the depressing thought that there were quite a number of them.

"Explosives in boot heels?" trying to sound it out

Chikaru ignored her as she was putting the boots back in the duffel bag. Shizuma leaned her back against the table, as her mind wandered aimlessly. The hum of the lab was for once soothing as it helped Shizuma to clear her head. Chikaru however, finished with her packing, was scrutinising the etoile as she put another bundle of equipment next to the bag.

A prickly feeling crawled on Shizuma, as she shuffled slightly at the discomfort. She knew the feeling well. There were eyes trained on her, if it was giving her this prickly feeling it could only be one person. Not to mention that there was no one else in the lab. Turning her head to look at Chikaru, she was met with searching eyes. The Shadow Queen of Astraea an apt nickname for Chikaru was in full mode. Raising her eyebrows in question she waited for the other to start. _'I wonder what's bugging her. Did some new gossip head her way? It could be her meddling ways showing their head though. I wonder…' _

"What?!" Shizuma demanded finally after too long a silence

"How was last night?" Chikaru asked in seemingly innocence

Shizuma's eyes widened at the question. Not believing for a bit the innocent aura. She was too good an actress. Crossing her arms tightly over her chest the etoile stared defiantly right back.

"None of your business Chikaru" stated Shizuma

"I'm impressed etoile. How many girls is that this month?" not fazed a bit by the hostility "I guess your charm can get you any woman you want"

"You're treading on thin ice Minamoto" Shizuma warned her

Chikaru smirked a little "Why are you so defensive?"

Shizuma looked confused for a brief second. It was so like Chikaru to switch and turn the conversation or imply and worm her way around. Retracing her steps back through the small exchange, she realised that Chikaru hadn't really said anything specific. She had only herself to blame for jumping the gun. Though to be honest the motherly snoopy woman wasn't done yet.

"I didn't realise my personal life interested so many."

"Oh don't pull that one. Please!" Chikaru rolled her eyes as she shook her head slightly "you know full well Shizuma how popular you are. Everything you do is watched by so many. Especially if you have a woman on your arm or not"

"It's always been like that, ever since Miator. Nothing ever really changes with me on that score."

"It did once as I recall." Chikaru softly spoke

Shizuma pushed herself firmly away from the work table, breathing heavy and eyes flashing dangerously as she took a step closer. Chikaru with softened features just stood her ground as she waited for the oncoming storm.

"That definitely is none of your business!" Shizuma nearly all but shouted

Chikaru bowed her head in apology and waited for the etoile to control her temper. It took longer than the usual count to ten. It reached a minute for Shizuma to look calmer yet still cool all around.

"I'm not going to apologise" Chikaru said "It happened so long ago. You're still locked up tight. Hearts heal up faster than we think, without us even knowing. It will surprise you when you least expect it."

The hum of the laboratory was the only sound to be heard. Shizuma just stood still not believing in anything that Chikaru had just said. It was just easy to be as she was without the emotional attachment.

Three young women swathed in once white lab coats, pieces of wiring sticking out of pockets, plus other bobs and ends and goggles hanging around their necks, entered the main room, interrupting the two elder ones who looked over at them in some caution. Their faces with bright eyes and wide smiles looked from Chikaru to Shizuma, confused a little on the atmosphere, did nothing to dampen their spirits. Kizuna, a brunette with pigtailed styled hair, waved out her lighted match then dropped it to the floor. It added to the already messy décor. Remon and Kagome, the two other stooges, looked to each other in mounting horror, then back to the confused Kizuna. Shizuma watched them closely; she knew something was in the wind there was always something happening with those three. Most of the time, it was never anything good. All focus was now centred on Kizuna.

"What did you light?" Remon asked her

"A candle Remon, it smelt of nothing but gunpowder in there." Kizuna explained grinning at her idea

"You didn't! That was Chikaru's experiment you nitwit!" Remon yelled at her "Explosives in an enclosed space, don't you remember?"

Chikaru sensed something was about to happen, more so now that she had an idea of what Kizuna had done. Pulling on Shizuma's arm they both stepped back further away from the three girls, as well as the other room. The others didn't notice, as Remon and Kagome were still berating Kizuna for her lack of brains. All of them lacking that at the moment, as they forgot about the burning fuse in the other room, linked to explosives no less and not concerned about it in the least. They work in the damn place! Shizuma was all set to enjoy the little show.

**BOOM!**

The whole lab trembled violently. Dust clouds obscured vision, black smoke mingling in from the other room, seeping from beneath the door. Fire alarms, intruder alarms, every other alarm was screeching in protest at the disturbance. It was total chaos. Thankfully when something like this happened, only in reference to the lab, order was soon restored. The alarms quickly became still. Shizuma cocked her eyebrow in Chikaru's direction, to see her in her thoughtful pose. Hand holding chin, whilst the other supported her elbow.

"Way too much explosives. It was only meant to blow the bloody doors off" a quiet mutter was heard.

With a hard glare to her subordinates, who looked a little sheepish under the glare, Chikaru went over to scold them, leaving Shizuma to collect her thoughts and her gadgets. It was safe for her to leave the lab now. Just another normal day in Astraea after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three **

_Somewhere on the South coast of England_

Impatience was the air Shizuma was displaying. By her feet were her suitcases, large ones, as she waited for her promised ride. It was already a half an hour late. No wonder she was getting irritated. Her journey to get here had been long and uneventful, with no fun or cute girls to make up for it. It also didn't help, that two beefy looking guys had started to take an interest in her. Ignoring them for now, as Shizuma kept her gaze firmly fixed on the road. _'What a backwater place this is. It just screams isolation and secrets. True she needs it considering what she does for a living. But come on! I've seen better hideaways. First stop to get the tracker into those plans, then onto the real chap who wants them. I wonder if I can find some fun.' _Her just turned happy thoughts were rudely interrupted, by the guys she had seen earlier. Shizuma sighed in disbelief at the idiocy of some people.

"Hey darling. Want to have a good time?" one eagerly asked

"Don't bother, neither one of you is my type. Furthermore go away." Looking menacingly at the two

Suffice to say they were a little surprised at the tone of her response, until manly pride edged with stupidity kicked in. Shizuma saw this coming; they certainly looked serious enough in getting something from her. Fighting them in her new business suit and classy high heels, not a chance if she could help it. Good fortune smiled down on her, as a jeep pulled into a parking space not too far away. The two men thought it best to leave, as they no longer were alone. The jeep was an older model, even though it was mud splattered with a few dents in the bumper it was well cared for. Shizuma waited and watched as a tall gangly individual exited the vehicle. It wasn't until they came closer that she realised it was a woman. Beige tight pants with tan knee high boots and a white shirt, it didn't help with her hair cropped short. _'So not my type.' _Keeping one eye on the thugs she waited for the woman to draw nearer.

"Miss Shizuma Hanazono?" the woman asked as she stopped a few steps away

"Yes that's me." Shizuma replied

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Amane Otori." She held out her hand as Shizuma shook it firmly "I've been sent by Miss Carter to pick you up. Is this your luggage?"

With a nod of her head Amane picked up one of the large suitcases, attempting to pick the other she failed in style. Shizuma decided to step on in, hefting the fallen case firmly up right, both women started towards the jeep. All packed up and settled in the two front seats, Shizuma shot one last glare at the two beefy guys, who was staring unabashedly at them, with a loud rumble of an engine they were off on the beaten tracks.

It was quite for a while in the jeep, comfortable silence it was but to Shizuma it was a little unsettling. The passing scenery of greenery, rolling hills in the far distance and the dense woodland that seemed to grow all around. Stealing a quick glance of her chauffer, Shizuma noticed that she seemed slightly nervous and edgy, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. _'I wonder what's she' so jumpy about? Being a driver doesn't get that response. Is it me or something else that's bugging her?' _

"Miss Carter seems to live in a beautiful part of the country." Shizuma tried to small talk

"That she does." Amane replied still fidgety but a little calmer

"If you don't mind me asking…" Shizuma asked then continued when Amane nodded her head "How long have you been in her employ?"

"Just a little over eight months now." Amane told her

"Like it?" noticing the wariness on the woman's face she tried to ease it somewhat "I won't tell"

Amane gifted her with a small smile "It's all right. The stable work isn't so bad and some of her other employees are nice. I just don't think I'll stay on for much longer"

Shizuma prided herself on knowing how to read peoples expressions. And after watching her carefully realised that something was slightly wrong in the answer given. She couldn't figure out what. She was startled out of her reverie when Amane asked her a question.

"I hear you work for the IPR sector. May I ask what that's about?"

Knowing her legend well enough she replied "Basically I help a lot of high end people put on whatever show or function they need. Making it sure its smooth sailing on the night."

It was then Shizuma noticed the reoccurrence of the fidgeting and uneasiness but less than before. _'I wonder what's bugging her. I didn't peg her for the type to be nervous. I don't suppose she could be…' _

Shizuma's sharp eyes caught sight of a leather briefcase on the backseat, a little out of place in the rundown jeep. Amane caught the glance, shifting a little uncomfortably in her seat. Shizuma had a gut feeling, about the contents, pulled out her phone and clicked on an application.

"Cell signal is dicey at the best of times out here, best to wait until you get to the main house." Amane kindly informed her

"Not to worry, I think I'll find a signal."

Shizuma waited patiently for the application to open, Chikaru's own design, as it began to automatically scan the immediate surroundings, its sole purpose to find the chip in the missing plans. The jeep became a little tense. Her phone gave her a positive light. The plans were in the briefcase. Putting her phone casually back into her pocket, she kept her hand holding on tight to the other object occupying the space.

Turning to face Amane "Had to do a little business in town?" nodding her head towards the backseat.

"I do odd jobs other than stable work sometimes. Often it's picking up things from town." Amane answered a little jumpy "Why are you so interested in a briefcase anyway?" fixing Shizuma with a hard stare.

The etoile caught onto the underlying threat, quickly showed her hand. No phone, but a small handgun pointed straight at the driver.

"Stop the damn car!" stressing each word

Amane was wide eyed at seeing the gun, gently pulled over to the side of the road, quite a feat considering she never took her eyes off the woman, or more accurately the gun. When the jeep was parked, the engine still running, the two women kept still as to not set the other one off. All was quiet for a little while, until Shizuma thought of her contact she was supposed to get in touch with. Surely not.

"Is the grass any greener on the other side?" rolling her eyes at the silly message.

Amane mouth dropped open in surprise "Isn't the grass underneath the same everywhere?" completing the sentence.

They were both stunned, both at the identity of the other and the misunderstanding behind it all. Shizuma looked from Amane to her gun, returning it safely into her pocket, clicking the safety on first. Getting readjusted in her seat Shizuma, looked over to her driver and contact, to see that she was getting a weird look.

"I'm sorry about earlier, I had to be sure. It's good to know our information is correct, that Melinda Carter is the one that obtained the plans." Shizuma apologised and explained

"That's all right; you have every right to be cautious." Looking like she wanted to asked something before thinking better of it.

Amane got the jeep back on the road, off towards their destination. Her demeanour was calmer than before, as if a weight was lifted off of her shoulders. Shizuma glanced one last time at the briefcase; it was now only a matter of time to watch and wait for the big fish to show itself.

"I must admit you're not what I expected when I was told to be you're contact. I was expecting…someone else." Amane broke the silence

Shizuma shot her a searching gaze "Really? I thought everyone knew me since my codename gives it away."

"True but I haven't been in Astraea long."

"That explains something at least." Amane turned her head slightly to glance quickly at Shizuma before turning back to the roads

'_There is something wrong about this' _

"So what can you tell me about Carter and her mansion? Her other employees especially" Shizuma asked of the contact. Her mind now filling with information she needed and also the boredom of the drive their flitted away.

* * *

You had to admit, that the bad guys knew how to live and work. Their secluded resorts were always top class, so what if they had the extra armed guards and maniacal punishments suited to personal tastes, which put a dampener on morale, but the rest certainly outweighed it all. Shizuma took in all the surroundings, as she sat in the passenger seat of the jeep, looking over the grounds of the isolated manor. The etoile saw numerous riders as she progressed thru the grounds; her driver was pensive and silent throughout. After several more minutes of nothing but greenery and small woodlands, the gravel driveway opened into a spacious and well styled courtyard. The main feature was a fountain, made of white marble stone, in an elaborate three tier pools, with crystal clear water spouting from its top, situated in a small roundabout. Yellow sharp eyes took in everything in sight, positions of doors and windows, the guards that patrolled around the manor and other little necessities she found worth noting.

Amane cruised the jeep around the fountain, to finally stop across from the entrance into the building. Shizuma Hanazono had arrived. With a quick glance to Amane to reassure her, they unbuckled their seatbelts and exited the car, walking a few steps towards the door. They were very hard to miss, as two armed guards, who looked like wrestlers from their muscles, just stood and stared at the newcomers. _'I'm finally where I should be. Nice to know Amane is trustworthy after my little stunt. I guess it's time to meet the good lady of the house.' _

In the background, Shizuma ears picked up the sounds of happy chatter, horses and underneath a soft music waltzing away. Shizuma heard the front door click open, bringing her full attention back and on alert, as her target walked out into view dressed smartly in riding leathers. A black silk shirt, covered by a black waistcoat outlined in red, with matching black trousers and knee high boots. Safe to say she cut quite the scene. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a tight bun, which brought out her deep hazel eyes. Those eyes focused solely on Shizuma, who in turn met her gaze squarely on.

"Amane I see you have brought my honoured guest to my abode" thanking Amane, sparing her a quick glance over. Her voice grew husky when she addressed Shizuma "I'm Melinda Carter, it's nice to meet someone from the International Public Relations sector."

Melinda extended her hand after her introduction, with a small smile in greeting. Shizuma smiled back, more seductively however, clasping her hand in soft hold.

"It's _very_ nice to meet you Miss Carter. I'm Shizuma Hanazono from the Head Office, thank you for having me here."

The two women kept their hands together as they continued to stare at each other, but after a little while released the hold after Amane coughed politely to gain attention. The driver was too used to this sort of thing, to make a deal out of it.

"Yes Amane. Was there something else?" Melinda looked over to her

"The documents you wanted me to fetch, would you like for me to put them in your office?" the tall woman asked, lifting the briefcase higher up.

Melinda looked thoughtful for a moment, until she smiled and shook her head a little "I'll take them Amane thank you. You can go back to the stables now, I'm sure you want to check things over" taking the briefcase from her, as Amane left in the jeep towards the stables. Melinda turned her gaze to her guest, looking somewhat apologetic "I am deeply sorry for this; I was going to give you a tour. I know just the one to go in my place, she is my top programmer and honestly, she should have arrived around now."

A hurried set of feet echoed on the tiled floor of the manor, as a blur of red tumbled out into the courtyard, tripping over the last step in her haste. Shizuma caught a quick glimpse, barely, of red eyes and cute lips before a loud yell filled the air. Reacting on instinct the etoile stepped quickly forwards arms stretched and taut, instantly filled with an embarrassed red head. Eyes locked on to each other for a brief lasting second, until the klutz pulled out of the embrace and straightened herself up. Shizuma couldn't resist checking her over, noting how her red sleeveless shirt and black jeans showed off her toned body; along with a tinted flush to her face making her one cute girl. She secretly hummed her approval.

"Miss Hanazono may I introduce Nagisa Aoi, my top programmer. Nagisa this is Shizuma Hanazono from the IPR." Melinda introduced them to each other, seeing Shizuma's interest in the red head.

With a quick handshake and a brief greeting, due to Nagisa's flustered state, Shizuma took action as the tension was getting higher.

"Miss Carter has unfortunate business to attend to, graciously offering me a tour by her top programmer" letting it sink in to Nagisa.

It sunk in alright. With squinted eyes glanced towards the silver head she turned towards her boss. Who in turn, brought the briefcase to rest in front of her. Red eyes widened ever so slightly at the object, Shizuma caught it with a mental nod of her head. _'Let the hunt begin.' _

"I can do a tour Melinda, no problem at all. Shall I have her back for your afternoon sit down?" Nagisa calmly spoke

"That would be fine Nagisa thank you." Then addressed her guest in a more intimate tone "Have fun and I will see you later" With that said she walked back into the manor, whispering to one of her servants who came out and collected the bags.

Nagisa waited until the door had shut, before she turned her attention to the woman. Shizuma however, was already waiting for attention from the red head.

"I guess I should thank you for catching me earlier. You have good reflexes I must say" Nagisa nodded her head in thanks

"No need for thanks. I had a cute girl land in my arms, what more could I want by greeting?" smirking a little, stepping closer to the younger woman.

Shizuma was honestly a little shocked, though she never showed it, when Nagisa rolled her eyes at her comment and took a few steps away.

"Shall we begin the tour? Start off among the stables and work our way from there. Who knows, maybe you will find more interesting rides along the way" Nagisa told her in a dull tone and began to walk slowly off. Not waiting to see if she followed.

Yellow eyes watched her walk for a little, the sway of her legs and the curves of the woman then quickly began to follow, pleased by what she saw. _'I love a challenge.' _

Shizuma followed Nagisa as they strode towards the grounds, making sure she was close but not too close. She listened as the young woman outlined the basic layout of the grounds, most she already knew thanks to her drive here. Shizuma was looking around her barely listening to the other woman, when she was completely caught off guard.

"It seems Amane has told you roughly all this already."

Shizuma looked to her right to see no one there then twirled around to find Nagisa had stopped walking altogether. Hands on hips with an arched eyebrow she looked more tempting to the etoile, but she wisely said nothing on the subject.

"I was curious so Amane filled me in on the basic layout." Shizuma replied

Nagisa crossed her arms "Why would a PR person like you be concerned with a layout of a mansion before you got here? I thought the guest list would be more up your alley"

Shizuma just stared at her for a little while, a little bit startled at the quick thinking of the woman. Shizuma knew she had to deflect her curiosity and suspicions fast and it was only the first day.

"True." Backtracking her steps to be closer to the red head "But I have to know about the location if I'm to organise the event. Yes?"

Shizuma watched as the cogs began turning in Nagisa's head and gave an inward sigh of relief when she saw her response hit home. In a quick movement the programmer was walking steadily away leaving Shizuma to catch up. The etoile easily kept pace giving her quick glances over, noting the stoic features and the tenseness surrounding her. Before she could speak someone else spoke up.

"Miss Aoi! Hold up!" a male voice shouted from the wooded trees

Shizuma eyed him up as he got closer, the black uniform of the security personnel along with a handgun bolted at his hip and radio plugged in his ears. His appearance was one she took little interest in, black short cut hair, with deep hazel eyes and stubble on his chin with a well-toned body as she saw from the short cut sleeves.

"Danny" Nagisa nodded her head at him as he stopped a few steps away "Can I introduce Shizuma Hanazono from the IPR. Miss Hanazono this is Danny Porter head of security."

Shizuma took a firm grasp of his hand when he held it out and gave a brief hello, as she was more aware of the eyes he had for her guide.

"Nice to meet you ma'am." Danny turned his attention to Nagisa "Miss Aoi you're a hard woman to track down."

Raising an eyebrow at his words "Really? I've been in my office all morning and I had no calls to suggest otherwise."

"It's only now I've been informed of it myself" looking a tad embarrassed "the security cameras along the perimeter have been malfunctioning along with the alarm system. You know it best after all."

Shizuma watched on the side-lines as the two talked, thinking this would be a great time to see some of the security measures up close without suspicion. Trouble was how to bring it up. Her prayers were soon answered.

"I'm in the middle of a tour Danny, I'll stop by later to sort it out." Nagisa apologised

"Wait." Reaching out "Please Miss Aoi you know how Miss Carter gets when the security is down." looking a little scared

Shizuma also caught the doe eyed gaze he sent her way; thankfully it wasn't reciprocated a bit by the redhead. The etoile watched as Nagisa muddled it through and with a nod of her head the security man looked brightened.

"I am sorry about this…" Nagisa started

"Don't be Nagisa. This is a part of your work and things do come up. Though I hope we get time for our tour afterwards." Shizuma smiled wide relishing the fact that Danny looked less than pleased.

In a short time they were in the woods and setting things straight. Shizuma took in as much as she could gather about the locations and how to spot them when she did her own snooping rounds. Nagisa was very helpful as she tutted and cursed at blown wires and mixed circuitry, unbeknown giving her helpful hints of how to disrupt the signal herself. It didn't take long for the broken to become fixed and with a stern warning of how to maintain them they were off. Shizuma was busy looking at her surroundings as she stepped out into the clearing, mulling over facts and so forth, so she missed the long piercing gaze that was being directed her way.

It had to be said Shizuma enjoyed her tour immensely, though the fact that a certain programmer had resisted all her flirts and charms dampened her spirits. It was just not a good thing for her ego to handle. Her visit to the stables meeting up with Amane once more, the closeness of her and Nagisa set her teeth on edge. _Thinking on_. Her walk around the different out buildings like the impressive large garage filled with beautiful cars, the security lodge and the workshop. Each cementing a more solid plan in her mind. When the grounds were covered Nagisa showed her the mansion itself. Inside was as grand as the grounds but not so obvious that it was made gaudy. Everything was exquisitely made, stylish yet simple and everything combined well with each other. Shizuma was guided around the lower levels first revealing multiple rooms which some consisted of a music room, a small library a large kitchen and an open lounge with access to a conservatory from the little time she saw. What caught her interest most was a heavy wooden door that was ignored by the redhead, when asked Nagisa simply stated that it was the door leading to the basement facilities. _'I bet that's where it's gone too. Though I'm surprised it isn't guarded as much. Hmm… cameras are installed too. I'll have to leave that exploration for a later date. I can't be too careless.'_ The ground floor done Nagisa led her up the staircase and pointed out bluntly this is the rooms of all the personnel that lived on site.

"This is your room" Nagisa stopped and indicated the room to her right

Shizuma barely gave it a look over as she turned back to her guide "Where is your room?"

"Far enough away" giving her a hard glare "I'll be back in half an hour to escort you to the sit down. I hope you'll be ready by then"

Without another word she walked swiftly off leaving Shizuma leaning against her door. _'I think she's warming up to me.' _


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Half an hour on the dot Shizuma heard a knocking on her door, opening it to find the redhead casually dressed and ready to go. Shizuma gave her a small smile whilst quickly giving her a look over. Deep red trousers with a long sleeved white shirt suited her admirably. It took Shizuma a few seconds but that was enough for the young woman to scowl slightly and rest her hands on her hips.

"Are you ready? Or do you need more time?" Nagisa asked

"I'm ready Nagisa. You look lovely by the way" Shizuma told her as she swiftly exited her room and closing the door behind her.

Nagisa gave small sigh at the flirty woman; having been her target most of the morning turned quickly on her heel and walked away leaving a confused woman standing alone. Shizuma once more caught up with Nagisa as they made their way to the lounge, hearing the already laughs and talk of the others inside. _'This girl seems to test my flirts to the limits. Usually they'd be in the palm of my hand right now. Focus! There's always something that gets slipped at these small talks. I wonder if I can wrangle the basement details into this somehow.' _Shizuma was escorted through the large room and into the conservatory where there were already quite a gathering, seated around the white metal table. One friendly face stood out and nodded her head in her direction.

"Ah here she is now." Melinda spoke up

The conversation dropped into silence as the group turned towards the newcomers. Shizuma noted that all of the people there were women with varying degrees of beauty. Nagisa ushered her into a chair on the left hand side of the host and she herself sat by Amane. Little did she know it caused somewhat of an internal struggle within the etoile as she saw this, but her attention was caught quickly by Melinda and the other women.

"How did your tour go Miss Hanazono?" Melinda asked as servants were distributing drinks among them

"I learned a lot and I can find my way without any trouble. My guide was very thorough." Shizuma replied watching as Melinda's eyes flickered towards Nagisa.

"That is good news." She quietly spoke

It was then as if an unknown signal went off that a torrent of questions flew in her direction. Everyone was curious of the etoile, so the questions being asked were quite personal ones rather than the safer ones. As the questions continued Shizuma silenced a sigh, as her eyes focused on the stable worker and the computer whiz that were in deep conversation. The redhead she observed looked like she was giving orders and Amane listened attentively with the occasional confusion flickering across her features. _'That redhead is a mystery. Don't these people ever ask something interesting? I had enough of this when I was at Miator.'_

"Enough! Give the poor woman a break" a loud voice told them

The room stilled a little as all heads turned in the general direction of two people, both of whom looked bored tinged with exasperation. Amane looked slightly vexed whilst Nagisa looked on in unconcealed annoyance. Shizuma silently thanked them as the questions and talk silenced on at the outburst, her gaze flickered towards Melinda and noticed that she was looking at the two with something of surprise sprinkling her face. _'This is going to prove interesting.' _

"Honestly. Treating a guest that way, she's only been here less than a day and already you bombard her with questions like that." Amane scolded them

A giggle escaped from the woman seated to Melinda's right "My, aren't we protective Amane."

"Knock it off Karen." Nagisa warned her, her voice low yet clear

Shizuma looked from one to the other noticing the thick air of tension between them, also the thick anticipation of the others as what was to come next. She was all set to enjoy the little show, betting her stakes that Nagisa would come out on top and it wasn't just because the girl was way cuter than the other.

"That will do!" a stern voice shattered the silence

Heads turned towards the voice and the stern appearance settled all the arguments. Melinda Carter certainly knew how to control her staff. She turned towards the etoile with a little embarrassment on her face.

"Please forgive us Shizuma. We are not usually this boisterous." Melinda apologised

Shizuma simply bowed her head slightly at the apology. _'We're on first name basis now? That was quick. I guess she wants something from me. Best bring matters to work, safe subject and I might get info on the basement whilst I'm at it.' _

"This auction is certainly getting under everyone's skin." A familiar voice spoke up

"I have to agree Nagisa; it's always is a busy time around here. I guess I forgot how stressing it can be." Melinda agreed with her programmer.

Shizuma decided to join in "Well hopefully tomorrow I can ease the stress somewhat." Turning a little to see Melinda "I need to be briefed on the security measures around here, if that's acceptable."

"That's fine. I have the guest list ready if you will stop by my office later on. Nagisa can show you the rest." Giving her programmer a look

"Me Melinda?" looking quite vexed at the thought "Danny is head of security…"

"You know more about the systems around here than anyone. So show Shizuma for me" her tone brooked no argument.

"Yes Melinda." Nagisa nodded her head and turned back to her small talk with Amane.

'_It seems tomorrow will be just as fun. Then again if Melinda's tone and hints are anything to go by, I might be in for some fun tonight.'_

The day was drawing to a close and the sit-down was dwindling as the woman casually left. The only remaining people were Shizuma, Melinda, Nagisa and Amane. When the last woman left and the sounds of heels clacking on the wooden floor faded, a comfortable silence ensued around them. Shizuma took a small glance at her redhead, who was relaxed and enjoying the brief rest. _'She certainly is an enigma. I can't tell her mood from one to the next. Unlike her Melinda seems to like my flirts. Oh well I'm guaranteed some fun this trip. I have to remember to call in too. Tamao will like the information and the chance to put together the event.'_

"As much as I would like to sit here, I have work to get too." Nagisa told them as she rose from her seat.

"As do I." Amane put in rising from her own seat

"Wait a minute Nagisa." Shizuma hurriedly spoke bringing a raised eyebrow from her "Since I have your company tomorrow where can I meet you?"

Hands on hips and a slight glare to the silver haired woman "I'll stop by at around eight if you're not there…I'll meet you in the lounge."

With that said both women bid them goodnight and left the two alone. Shizuma was still muddling her head around the words Nagisa used, shaking her head minutely that the computer whiz was indeed a sharp one.

"You seem to have made quite the impact on my computer expert Shizuma." Melinda told her

"I have? I don't see how to be honest with you." Shizuma replied wondering about the kind of impact she did have

"Hmm…please bear with her. She will do the security brief with you and be professional doing so. Afterwards you needn't have any more contact with her." Shrugging her shoulders to her last point.

'_Oh my I think someone's jealous. This woman knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. She is pretty in her own way, but since I can't have Nagisa… what am I saying?!' _

"Shall we continue somewhere more comfortable?" Melinda asked as she deftly rose from her seat

"Of course" giving her a small seductive smile

The two made their way out of the conservatory and walked into the office that Melinda occupied. Gesturing for the agent to sit on the comfortable couch that occupied the wall Shizuma watched as Melinda picked up a folder and sauntered her way over sitting down on the couch next to her. It definitely set the mood a little.

"Here is the guest list." Handing the file over "Drink Shizuma?" indicating the drinks available

"Thank you and please" with a slow nod of her head as she flicked through the names.

As she cast her eyes over the names, a few stood out due to their popularity or their wealth, nothing linked these with her mission. Yet something was off. Next to four names was given a star. Its meaning eluded her. A presence next to her jolted her from her task as she glanced towards Melinda, a wine held out for her. Giving one of her trademark smiles Shizuma accepted the glass and leant back into the seat.

"You seemed lost there for a minute" Melinda softly said

"I was merely curious. I'm sorry if I blanked out on you, I rarely do with such pleasant company."

"Then I will just have to find ways of keeping your attention then" Melinda smiled

Shizuma smirked and her eyes glittered with mirth. This was a game she knew very well how to play; a bonus in a sense was that the woman also knew where it would probably lead. Why waste a good night alone?

* * *

It was morning, which was all she was certain of as she groggily opened her eyes. Shizuma could already hear people going about their day, rising into a sitting position she took in her surroundings. She knew she wasn't in her own room; it wasn't as furnished or as large. Her eyes travelled to rest on the sleeping figure besides her and the memories of last night came flooding back. Stealthily she got out of bed and changed leaving the room without ever waking her up. Moving swiftly the agent made a beeline for her own room breathing a heavy sigh of relief when she closed the door behind her. _'It would have been awkward if anyone saw me come out of Melinda's room. Do I regret last night? Nah! It was fun. Oh my god! Is that the time?!' _The etoile's eyes were riveted on the clock. It was 9.30. She was late. In a flash and panic Shizuma stormed into the bathroom, a brief wash later stormed right back out again heading towards the wardrobe. A little trouble later with choosing what to wear, she was dressed and heading towards the lounge, hoping that her redheaded whiz was still waiting for her.

Little did she care that eyes followed her as she trotted along the corridor screeching into a halt in front of the open doorway bringing more eyes her way. The agents own were fixated on the reclining whiz tapping away at her laptop, obviously having given up the appointment. Controlling her breathing and expression she casually walked over. Somehow knowing that what was to come wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Nice of you to finally join me." Nagisa sarcastically announced

Sighing heavily Shizuma hung her head a bit at the tone "I'm sorry I forgot to set my alarm this morning. I really didn't mean to keep you waiting this long."

Nagisa slammed her laptop closed and deposited it in a bag near her feet. Quickly rising and walked straight up to Shizuma, giving her a much pointed glare then once more strode away leaving the etoile standing alone yet again. _'This is soo familiar' _

Catching up to the obviously ticked off woman, Shizuma stole quick peeks at her realising that the woman looked a little exhausted. A wave of embarrassment and guilt quickly flowed over her, much to her own surprise as they reached the wooden door. Nagisa turned slightly to face her, her tone monotonous even if her eyes still showed their irritation.

"You wanted to know about the security for the auction and Melinda granted it. This leads to the Vault and the main control systems we have installed around here. All things of extreme value are kept down here and only a select few are allowed access. It is also very well guarded." Nodding her head towards a camera that was solely pointed at the door "Everything is monitored at the security lodge I showed you the other day, but the main computer is down here. Shall we begin?"

Nagisa pulled aside the fake light switch at the side to reveal an electronic keypad, carefully inputting her code finishing with a green light for her to enter. Shizuma made a mental note to remember it as she followed her through the door. Compared to the rest of the house the Vault was bland and sterile. Walking down the metal staircase, she kept her eyes peeled for the noticeable signs of cameras or any security measures at all.

Reaching the base of the stairs the etoile was then guided through a short corridor to stop this time at a solid metal door. A camera was perched high watching those that enter and off to the right was another keypad with a small screen. Nagisa keyed in her number, but this time another authorisation was needed. The small screen came alive, a small ID of the woman which quickly vanished to become a scanner of sorts. Shizuma watched intensively as she pressed her thumb onto the screen and a few moments later a loud click echoed in the silent place. Quickly they stepped on through and Shizuma was greeted to the inner workings of the whole thing.

Two security guards stood stiffly either side of the door as they walked swiftly in, both armed and dangerous. Shizuma took little note of them as most of her attention was on the scene before her. The large room was filled with screens with consoles underneath them that looked that they were nothing but buttons. Two of these stations, of sorts filled two of the walls, another station was simple, in all honesty to the etoile it looked like a regular computer but with a really big screen attached, whilst one other had a large grate with two more guards standing vigilantly on either side. The etoile stood still as her companion walked around her, nodding her head as if in approval. Three men were sitting watching the screens, taking no notice of the guests as Nagisa walked up to the one screen filled bay and beckoned the woman over.

"As you can see the other two bays monitor everywhere within Melinda's grounds as well as inside and here down in the Vault. If in emergency it can even access the cameras and follow or find anyone within range." Shizuma nodded her head "This one deals with anything but the security. Such as transactions, stocks and mainly what Melinda wants."

"I'm guessing you have all clearance for these" Shizuma asked as she took in certain points

"Yes. I helped design some of the systems that we are using. When I first came here they were slightly outdated, now it runs more efficiently."

"Clever girl" she quietly approved

Nagisa shot her a quick glare having heard her remark but was quickly interrupted by the techie who was looking a little unsure.

"Hey Nagisa, soz for interuptin you an all" looking not in the least bit sorry "but wat you make of this ere?"

Nagisa bent in closer to see the problem; however Shizuma quickly scanned the other two bays. _'She really wants to know all what goes on this place. Isn't anywhere private? I think my best chance is to secure one section of the grounds, which I'll look into after this. Not to mention taking care of the cameras that surrounds this bunker. I can't believe Nagisa did some of these systems, makes me feel a bit bad in tampering with it.' _

"Looks like sub routines of some sort Mike. Send them to my link up and I'll check them over." Patting him on the shoulder

"Will do" Mike obeyed and speedily tapped away.

Shizuma stepped up next to her guide as Nagisa nodded her head towards the grate which they both walked towards. The guards were hesitant at first, not of the redhead but they weren't sure if protocol would let Shizuma access inside. First it was reassurance Nagisa talked about then it became more demanding but to no avail. Then finally losing her temper it became orders and threats, which Shizuma thought she did it in style. A quick radio call and a scold later for the idiocy of the two guards let the women through; the etoile barely hid her smirk at their sheepish expressions.

"I must admit I didn't expect this much security inside the Vault. Especially the guards." Shizuma pointed out

"Melinda's orders. She's a very private person where it concerns her affairs. Not to mention the delicate items she has for the auctions." Nagisa told her, her eyes flickered over her

The room was more a gallery than anything Shizuma thought as stepped further inside. Every item that was there was on a podium with a light shining directly on it. Walking amongst the objects, some of them art, pottery, jewellery and a rare furniture piece graced this lonely drab room. The etoile had yet to find her prize. Baring in mind that she wasn't alone and not to mention being watched like a hawk, she made a show of examining pieces and asking simple questions of origins. Deeper in a large safe was seen and the strangeness of it all was that it looked quite well within the room. Drawing nearer she looked questionably at Nagisa.

"What?" asked the redheaded woman

"A safe within a safe? What's so special about these contents?" having an idea already in mind.

"Something important to Melinda." Nagisa replied her tone brooked no more questions "Well if you're finished with seeing the art shall we leave?"

It took little time for the two to make their way out of the Vault to once more stand outside the wooden door. Before Shizuma could even begin to talk to her, a few mutterings of talk reached her ears. Turning her head ever so slightly she saw a few people gathered to the side stealing glances her way before mumbling to each other in earnest. _'Great gossipers! Some things rarely change!' _Paying them no heed she turned back towards Nagisa, startled a little on how uncomfortable she looked, knowing when her eyes strayed towards the group the reason why.

"Thank you for showing me. At least I have an idea now on how to plan this event out. Not to mention how everything works." Shizuma thanked her

"A strange request from the get go. You are a strange one Miss Hanazono." Looking less than impressed and more than a bit curious

"I like to cover all of my angles. Anyway, enough about work care to join me for a stroll?" looking hopeful

Nagisa was a little stunned at the sudden request so it took her a little while to answer "No thank you. I have work to finish. Besides why don't you ask some others whose company isn't as sharp as mine?"

Shizuma leant in closer to make her statement more convincing "If I wanted silly talk I would. I prefer beauty and brains, which you have both in abundance"

Shizuma was honestly and totally gobsmacked at Nagisa's response. The said woman took one step back, her red eyes looking ready to kill and her whole demeanour about to burst. Before anything more could be said or done a quiet figure moved into sight which quelled Nagisa's temper a little visibly, giving a nod to Amane she stormed away leaving mutterings and surprise in her wake. _'What on earth?! What did I say? Bloody woman is a mystery. How can she talk and be friendly with Amane and not give me a chance too? I'll figure her out soon and then she will be like the others.' _Hiding her emotions under her stoic features she turned to acknowledge her contact, whose whole bearing was little stunned at the byplay she had just witnessed. Arms were crossed over her chest her eyes were riveted on Shizuma who said or did nothing for what happened.

"I was going for a stroll care to join me?" Shizuma asked as she steadily walked away.

The two said little as they made their way out the mansion, greeting those that walked on by and revelling in the warm sun. The woodland outcrop of the estate was their destination in mind, taking their time to head in the general direction as neither minded the quietness or pace. Reaching the slight shade of the huge trees with none other in sight did they finally relax their pretence.

"What did I barge in on in there?" Amane asked looking really intrigued

Shizuma gave a small sigh knowing it was about to be brought up "A little misunderstanding."

Amane knew not to continue instead "It seems you're the gossip of the mansion today." A soft growl was heard to this "I thought your job was to be…low-key."

"My job is not to be caught. Yet being the centre of attention is unfortunately how it goes." Shizuma shrugged her shoulders

"Do you have the guest list yet?" receiving a nod Amane went on "Those with the stars next to their names, are the ones you need to focus on. The others are here for the legal auction, they however are here to see the plans you were following."

Shizuma thought hard on this piece of information. Two auctions were to take place one in full view and the other out of sight. It was a delicate thing to try and manoeuvre around. Her timing had to be just right to do this right. Shizuma needed to get started on preparing for her venture. There was one thing that puzzled her slightly though.

"Amane, how did you know about the names and such? A stable hand doesn't get told things such as these"

Amane grew a bit uncomfortable under the eyes of the etoile, yet her tone was strong "People talk and I listen. I pick up on a few things here and there."

Not quite believing her she nodded all the same. Some things were best left unanswered after all.

* * *

It was mid-afternoon when Shizuma came out the mansion yet again. A small rucksack slung over her shoulder and carefully held, as she made her way to the woodland edge. The rest of the morning hadn't gone smoothly, as soon as she returned with Amane by her side, mutterings and whisperings were spreading. They were all obviously about her, the quick silence when she came within earshot was all the evidence she needed and it was what they were discussing that caught her by surprise. Her love life seemed to attract attention both here and at Astraea. Amane shook her head in disgust when overhearing that it was a three way split between Amane, Melinda and Nagisa, gladly noting in any case that most were leaning towards the latter two than anything. Shizuma bore it in her stride as she bid goodbye before going to her room.

A brief rest with a long shower was the pick me up Shizuma needed to start back out this time a few of her gadgets were coming along. The etoile scanned the area picking up where the cameras were placed; with each one a small disrupter was attached. So if the time came for her to leave in a hurry she could switch them off and disrupt the flow. Knowing it was best to leave the backup plan of explosives, which she decided to plant just in case, to a night time stroll than right now. She just wasn't sure on who could walk in on her planting the stuff, not to mention what lie to spill if they do.

"That's done" after a good hour of poking around coming again to where she stopped earlier "Now I have to call in"

Digging for her phone in her pocket Shizuma dialled up and waited patiently.

"IPS Hanazono office how can I help?" a familiar voice answered

"Tamao it's me." Cutting to the chase

"Nice of you to phone in. What do you need?" Tamao briskly asked

"Sorry been a little busy. I'll email you the guest list later as well as the information on the event. Can you set up a plan for me and arrange everything." Shizuma told her knowing the answer already.

"Already on it. I have a rough idea on the size of the hall already as well as the guest list. Something like that doesn't keep secret for long." Tamao sounded a bit smug

"You begin to sound like her way too much you know" hinting at the known woman

"Good thing or bad?"

Shizuma paused before she answered as the voice sounded quite different than before "If I'm on speaker I'll say it's a bad thing" joked the etoile

"Funny Shizuma." M butted in "Anything more to add?"

Hearing a rustle from behind Shizuma decided to be vague "Everything you will need I will send, along with a few notations on what I need from you. I'll talk to you tomorrow to find out how it's coming along"

"Be safe" M warned her before ending the call

Shizuma clicked her phone shut and put it away turning to face the direction she knew someone was hiding. Shizuma tensed up in readiness and watched carefully for danger. However there was no need as a figure that sparked some recognition in the silver's head, made her way forward to lean against a tree and stared glare fully at her. Shizuma could feel the anger and hostility roll off her in waves, unsettling her a little and wondered on the cause. It was soon made clear.

"Well, well you've certainly had an impact around here and it's only been a day." The woman sarcastically announced.

Shizuma remained quiet.

"I wonder what you're agenda really is here." Cocking her head to the side "I mean you don't act like anyone we've had in the past, looking into places that aren't in your field and yet again sneaking around this place."

Suspicions aroused at the words Shizuma started to lose her own anger towards the woman, her voice confirmed her own thoughts on who she was.

"Karen you would be best to stay out of my affairs. As for all the nonsense you've spouted off, it's all hearsay and the way I do my jobs shouldn't concern you in the slightest." Shizuma warned her

Not taking the hint Karen steamed rolled on taking big strides to come rest near the agent "Oh really?! Then tell me please what you were doing walking around the perimeter a moment ago. Or better yet last night"

'_I had to get a paranoid one in this place didn't I! Yeah spilling on what I did last night is so not going to help me in matters, not to mention the rumour mill. How do I get her away from this subject?' _

"Hmmm?" Karen impatiently called out as she realised that Shizuma was taking a bit too long in answering "Let me tell _you_ then. Fiddling around with our security were you? Planning on stealing from Melinda? It has to be one or the other"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Shizuma exclaimed "You've certainly lost a screw haven't you. This place is like Fort Knox with all the security measures that are around."

"Please" Karen snorted "If you get that redhead on your side none of them matter since she personally changed them all to her way. Rumours go that there easy to meddle with too. For a person like you one way or the other shouldn't be a problem."

"Enough Karen!" a stern voice angrily told her.

Shizuma gave herself whiplash turning to face the newcomer, shocked by two facts. One she didn't hear anyone approaching and two, the cute little redhead was sticking up for her. Nagisa dressed in jeans and shirt carrying a black bag, was leaning against a tree glaring hard at Karen. Shizuma looked from one to the other noticing the tension.

"You're sticking up for her? I am surprised at that since I've noticed the way you acted around her." Sarcastically pointing out.

"As if" Nagisa scowled "Those accusations you've just mouthed off reflect back on me and badly at that. Do you honestly think I wouldn't report it if I knew any better?"

"Where was she sneaking off to last night then?" folding her arms

"I know for a fact where she was" Nagisa rolling her eyes "Heading into Melinda's room I believe. I was on duty last night."

Karen went still as she processed it. Her cheeks paled a little and quickly gained colour back. Shizuma was watching Nagisa, noting how the scowl and stance never lessened. _'This certainly livened up my day. I guess my lie earlier was a waste too.' _Karen slowly started to walk into Nagisa's direction, pausing by her side to whisper in her ear. Nagisa half turned her head to face Karen to give her a brief nod. With that the now silent woman walked off. The etoile was a little confused to the whole thing; cocking her hip with a hand resting on there she thought it over.

"Confused are we Miss Hanazono?" Nagisa asked, before Shizuma could reply she continued on "Karen and Melinda are or _were_ quite close and frequent lovers too. You could say there were in a relationship. If I were you stay clear of her. Congratulations on breaking them up."

Turning her back to the etoile Nagisa walked quickly away. Shizuma debated for a second before following after her. Quickly she caught up and easily kept pace. They walked in silence for a little while, Shizuma thoughtful and Nagisa irritated. Among the trees up ahead caused Shizuma to gasp out in delight. It gave the redhead a glimpse of a rare true smile and a sneak peek into the true woman hidden underneath.

"I'm glad I came after you, this place is beautiful. I never thought that Melinda would have something like this."

The woodland opened up to reveal an oasis, a hidden garden filled with flowers, shrubs and small trees stylishly planned out. The mini garden centred on a rose covered gazebo as its main feature. Shizuma heard the chuckling of a stream, though in no rush to go and find it. Turning to ask something of Nagisa, only to find the hacker not by her side. Whipping her head around to find her, Shizuma caught the messy ponytail bobbing around in the gazebo. Relishing her walk on the gravel lined pathways, ticking off mentally the different species she recognised along the way. Stepping up the two wooden steps of the gazebo, she saw Nagisa tapping away at her laptop, completely ignoring her as Shizuma sat down on the seat. Shizuma enjoyed the silence around her for a brief time.

"Your still here?"

"Am I bothering you?"

"No, I was wondering for a bit what other trouble you would get yourself into otherwise." Nagisa shook her head a little at the thought.

"Thank you for earlier" smiling a bit

"I didn't do it for you." Nagisa bluntly told her "I hate it when people underestimate my work and my ability. It was much for my own sake than yours"

"Even so thank you" Shizuma whispered softly gaining no reply in return

* * *

It had been a full two days since Shizuma had arrived at the mansion, her cover was holding up to its full potential especially when things were set in motion. For her _'Job'_ she was supposed to organise the event itself getting everything in place and making sure all was right. Personally she just oversaw the completed deliveries and their final place set up in the hall. It would certainly make an impact on the night when it was finished in record time. The real credit went to Tamao who had a flair for putting these types of things together. The etoile made a mental note to fully congratulate her when she got back to Astraea.

Another thing which seemed to happen was the less she saw of her cute prey. Shizuma knew she was being a tad irrational, leading up to the auction Nagisa was kept busy making sure all was running smoothly leaving little time for Shizuma to talk to her. When they did it certainly didn't come across well. Her only appreciated company was from Amane, receiving helpful hints and aid when she put her back up plan in place.

It was the day of the auction and once more Shizuma was seated in the conservatory and the topic of discussion was about the auction that night. Karen was still seated to Melinda's right but the tension around them was palpable, as for Nagisa and Amane they were again seated together looking focused and all in all it had a heavy mood than before.

"So that is the basic plan for tonight. Any questions?" Melinda looked around seeing shakes of heads "Well then I hope we have an eventful evening."

Small talk erupted around the table, as the women found topics such as dresses, entertainment and other annoying talk to find. Shizuma turned towards Melinda to see about her role in tonight, her plan to get into the Vault was sketchy at best.

"Everything is set up for tonight along with the additional staff you requested. I guess my job is almost done" Shizuma started

Melinda gave a small smile "That's true. I hope I will have the _pleasure _of your company for tonight."

Shizuma didn't dare to answer her knowing one she could upset the woman on her right who was shooting her an evil glare, two she wanted to talk to a certain redhead and three it was just easy to focus on her mission and spread lies to anyone else other than her. The etoile gave a warm smile looking around the table in an attempt not to give a direct answer. The agent saw Danny walking with purpose in their direction, the gossiping came to lull when he marched directly to Melinda.

"Danny?" Melinda gave him a questioning frown

"Sorry to interrupt you ma'am, but the techies are having trouble with the Vault systems. May I borrow Miss Aoi?" Danny told her

Shizuma noticed Nagisa frown in thought as she rose from her chair, giving a nod of her head in Amane's direction. Turning to see what was taking Melinda so long to answer, the etoile saw a dark frown on her pretty face.

"Of course Danny, though please stay and monitor the situation for me. I want a report after Nagisa has finished." Giving the computer whiz her attention "Nagisa you're needed in the Vault it seems"

Melinda grabbed on tight to Nagisa's wrist as she walked on past, stopping her sharply. Nagisa looked at her boss in a mix of shock, fear and iron determination. Melinda looked to her captive with an angry face. Shizuma tensed at the action that Melinda pulled off; out of the corner of her eye Amane did the same. It was a thick atmosphere in the conservatory, the other residents seemed unconcerned. It led Shizuma to believe that it happened regularly. Opening her mouth to speak, she was pulled up by Amane who gave her a warning glare. The message was simple. Don't interfere. It didn't sit right with Shizuma, but submitted to Amane's experience with these situations.

"My little computer whiz, before you leave tell me something" Melinda turned her face to Nagisa "Why was I not informed of the security glitches on the perimeter?"

Shizuma inwardly flinched at the question; it was her own doing for sure. She looked hard at Nagisa's stone set face for anything telling.

"I didn't think to bother you with it. I checked all the angles myself, as well as the database mainframe for any tampering. Nothing at all. I informed main security who are doubling up the guard in that area."

All this was said in a matter of fact tone, Nagisa kept her eyes firmly fixed onto Melinda's, whose eyes bore straight back. Melinda released her hold on Nagisa, her wrist visibly showing red marks at the strength she was held in.

"Next time Nagisa, I won't be so lenient. You will tell me however small the breach is in the future. Understood?"

The redhead bowed her head in response then took her leave. The room seemed to come back to life after her departure. _'Damn I'm such a fool. There were sensors only known to her hidden around the base perimeter. I least I know now what to look for. I hope Nagisa doesn't get into more trouble because of me.' _

* * *

"I thought I might find you here" Shizuma called out to Amane

The stable hand turned her head to face the caller, giving her a nod before once more turning her attention back to the horse. Shizuma gracefully walked up looking into each of the stalls as she went on by. Each horse was a thoroughbred, well cared for and exercised regularly. Coming alongside Amane the etoile smiled a little smile of appreciation at the horse receiving the attention. It was pure white except for a soft yellow mane and tail, looking at its name on the stall door read 'starbright'.

"Beautiful" Shizuma murmured

"Thank you"

"Yours?" a little startled

"Yes. It's been a few years now since I brought him and we work well together." Amane proudly stated.

Shizuma checked the rest of the stable subtly for any people close by, seeing none she let loose a little sigh of relief.

"How are you holding up?" Amane asked after hearing the sigh

"I'm doing fine for the most part."

"Trouble?"

"Not really. My work is going well." giving her a knowing look "The only trouble I seem to have is getting on the wrong side of people."

Amane chuckled after hearing that. Shizuma cocked her brow in confusion wondering what she found so funny. Amane turned her back on her horse resting against the stall door, her face thoughtful.

"It takes her a while to open up to new people then she can be quite pleasant company. You however seem to have no luck at all with her."

It was safe to say Shizuma stayed confused on the topic. It must have shown on her face, her usually calm face, for Amane to explain better.

"You're talking about Nagisa Aoi right?" Amane crossed her arms "I've seen how she acts around you, the both of you together, it came quite a shock to see her so tense and difficult. She's usually upbeat and teasing"

"Lucky me" Shizuma grumbled to herself.

Shaking her head to dislodge the last parts of the conversation, focusing on the main reason she came to find Amane in the first place. _'Focus on your job!'_

"The auction is late this evening and my plans are all set. Now here is where I need your help." Once more glancing around "I can look after myself inside when the time comes, what I want you to do is watch the outside perimeter for me. If you see anything that can pose a threat or hindrance I need to know about it. Can you do that for me?"

Cringing a little on the job asked of her, Amane finally nodded her head making Shizuma smile in gratitude.

"Amane…Amane are you in there?" a voice hollered in the distance

"Yes I'm in here near the back!" sparing a quick glance to Shizuma who just shrugged.

Still dressed in the same clothes as earlier Nagisa came jogging into the stable. Stopping suddenly when she saw who else was also there, before resuming a slower pace. Stopping just a few steps away from Shizuma, who in turn noticed that the redhead favoured her right foot.

"What happened?" Shizuma questioned her

Nagisa was a little startled at the sudden question, giving Shizuma a searching glance before shrugging her shoulders in annoyance.

"I just tripped is all."

A snicker came from the blunette; four eyes pierced her and did little effect.

"Again?" she mirthfully chuckled

Nagisa clicked her tongue at the accusation before a devilish glint shone in her eyes. Shizuma caught on to it, deciding to remain in the background and watch the show, knowing the hackers way, it could turn against the stable hand pretty sharpish.

"Here I was, in the goodness of my heart, to find and tell you that you are to pick up our entertainment for tonight who's arriving shortly. Apparently I've been told that you know them well." Heaving a dramatic sigh "Oh well, since you acted like that for all my troubles I'll go do the honours."

Nagisa began to leave and slowly walked away. Shizuma enjoyed watching the emotions flicker across Amane's face as it happened. Liking the look of panic now featured on her face.

"Wait!"

Nagisa paused as Amane hurriedly made her way to her. Shizuma didn't hear what words passed between the two, there wasn't any need as there was some sort of deal being reached, as Nagisa nodded and Amane ran off in a sprint.

"You seem to know her weaknesses very well." Shizuma strolled on over

"Not really. Amane herself jumped at the chance so I knew she would act like that." Nagisa shrugged and turned towards the agent giving her a sharp stare "Are you all set for tonight?"

"Of course the hall is being decorated and the staff is ready and waiting. Not much else for me to do really."

"I wonder…" Nagisa murmured

Shizuma searched her face when she heard that. Something didn't sound right to her and not to mention the fact that the woman in front of her tended to be sharper at noticing things.

"What makes you say that?" the etoile asked

"Let's just say I don't want more work on my plate than necessary." As she started to walk out of the stables, quickly followed by Shizuma

"So little trust in me" Shizuma half-heartedly teased her

"Considering what you've put me through since you came here can you blame me?" Nagisa retorted.

Shizuma not one to back away made a suggestion "Well how about I make it up to you. I haven't got an escort for…" Before she could go further she was interrupted

"No thank you!" Nagisa stopped her slow walk and turned abruptly to face the woman "Besides at these types of events I'm usually behind the scenes. So you'll just have to look for other prey."

With that she stormed off as Shizuma just watched her go. _'Someone isn't very good at lying when called on. I bet she will be in the hall. Well all my back up is in place and I know the rota of the security detail, all I can do now is wait.'_

* * *

Evening came as it does whether you want it to or not. The mansion was waiting in all its splendour to greet the guests, with lights placed decoratively around the courtyard to show the way, not to mention the most impressive cars that were driven there. All a show of wealth which certainly set the mood. Shizuma dressed in a beautiful black spaghetti dress, that fell to the ankle and quite the side slit. Greeting the guests that arrived, gave her an advantage to put certain names to faces, especially those that were to be in the silent auction. Though the etoile never would admit it, she was quite flattered with all the attention she received whilst standing there, her eyes peeled the foyer for a certain woman but alas no such luck. With the last guest to arrive, the hall became quite the centre piece and focus, a small stage stood at the far end all ready for the night's main attraction. Shizuma crept her way skilfully among the crowd to stand next to Melinda to kick start the show. A hush fell on the crowd as Miss Carter made her way on stage, giving quite the full smile to all.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I warmly welcome you to the annual auction. There's food and drink aplenty so enjoy. Before I bore you with small talk I'll hand you over to the auctioneer for tonight." Melinda nodded her head to the applause before handing the microphone and stage over.

Shizuma applauded with the rest and began to watch the proceedings. After about the third one her mind started to wander._ 'People actually enjoy going to these things? Not to mention spending all this money over such stuff! Come on three grand for a pot?! Stupid rich people!' _Her thoughts were cut short as Shizuma observed Melinda make her way out of the hall, this wasn't unusual at all. It was the three other people that made it suspicious as one by one they left the hall. Taking a sip of her champagne she hid her small smirk behind the glass. _'Just a matter of time now. All set to go. Now to wait for my chance to put my plan into action.'_

As she resigned herself to the repetitious drabble the time dragged on by, with only the changing of a fresh glass of champagne to break the monotonous cycle. Shizuma clapped the hardest when the auction finally finished, the atmosphere became relaxed and less restrained. The drink went quickly and the talk flowingly. The etoile became aware of the others just coming back into the hall with no one the wiser as far as she could see.

Shizuma's trained eyes quickly found her quarry, which was quite impressive considering the amount of people crammed into the hall. Then again when it involved a woman, Shizuma was a master. Deftly and skilfully she glided her way to the red heads side, who was in deep talks with Amane, to notice her presence. This gave her plenty of time to admire the view. The programmer wore a deep scarlet dress, which clasped around the neck leaving the back open. Tightly fitted around the chest, it flowed to the ankles with a slit from there to mid-thigh for easy movement. It certainly emphasized her curves. Nagisa's hair fell to her shoulders as in its simplicity it brought out her natural cuteness. _'She looks delicious. I must admit my charms don't seem to have an effect on her yet. I guess I have to up the ante.' _Shizuma stood still for a moment longer, before she stepped up close to stand beside her prey, making Amane step back in surprise, obviously unaware of her until now. The red head just turned her head to look at the intruder, her eyes guarded and expression was neutral.

"Did you enjoy the view?" Nagisa sarcastically asked of the womaniser, clenching her flute of champagne a little tighter.

The agent was surprised; honestly she thought she would shock the woman, instead of the other way around. Shizuma had made no noise or intention of coming to her side, so how had she known she was there? Quickly she regained her flirtatious side, rising to the challenge and stared into Nagisa's red eyes.

"I must say I did indeed. Though mostly, what I sought was obstructed from view. I will have to remedy that." Shizuma huskily told her giving her a small smirk.

Her flirt went down the drain, again, when Nagisa clicked her tongue in exasperation, taking a sip of her drink and looked back to Amane. Shizuma was losing her touch, especially with this one.

"Amane, you know who the entertainment was tonight, who was it?" Nagisa asked, intentionally blocking out Shizuma

"Hikari Konohana." A deep flush made its way onto her cheeks

Nagisa just giggled at the sight. Shizuma cocked her brow at the sound, the sound was pleasing to the ears as of yet she hadn't been able to make the girl smile, let alone giggle. Irritation seeped into her. Nagisa continued to giggle for a little bit more, until finally got in under control.

"I don't see what's so amusing. People can have crushes you do know that right?" Shizuma asked, lacing her tone with annoyance.

Nagisa sighed a little and answered her "Amane is known among the stable workers as the Prince, not once as long as I've known her, as she ever had a crush before. It's cute to say the least" teasing her friend a little

"I see, so the prince has finally found the princess so to speak." smiling a little at her own wording

"You do nothing but tease me Nagisa" shaking her head in denial, looking at her with resigned eyes knowing inside it was all done in jest. "I have to go and check on a few things before I retire. Have fun" nodding her head to Shizuma as she walked away.

This left the two alone, even if there were people surrounding them, it didn't intrude upon them. Nagisa was quietly sipping her drink, swaying a little to the music looking lost in thought. Shizuma scanned the crowd quickly, not to mention secretly, marking people she needed to keep a close eye on. Her eyes finally landed on Melinda, who was in deep conversation with someone who Shizuma hadn't seen before. Their mode of dress was androgynous, surrounded somewhat by people so no clear view of who they were. Not a very good start. She sighed a sigh, of pure frustration, forgetting for a moment whose company she wanted to gain.

"Melinda would love your company Miss Hanazono. Why don't you strut over there and have some fun" Nagisa told her looking in the direction of Shizuma's gaze.

Shizuma jumped a little, not showing it on the outside. Turning her eyes to see Nagisa looking a tad bored, with her being there or the event itself Shizuma had no clue. The agent turned fully to face her, bending in a little closer.

"I enjoy the company I'm keeping right now. Tiring of me so soon?" a little jab of fear stabbed at her, when she had said the last part, wondering if she really did have any chance.

Nagisa's eyes widened at the response, not expecting the woman to stick around, after all she had kept on blocking her advances. Tapping her glass flute in thought looking seriously at the, obviously gorgeous woman.

"You are a strange one Miss…" Nagisa was silenced by a pale slender finger on her lips.

"Please call me by my name." Shizuma softly asked, leaving her finger for a second longer before removing it.

The gesture was so unexpected that Nagisa blushed, a light tint, and it took her a while to get her dismissive composure back on. For Shizuma it was a delightful start, the first time she got any response except indifference. _'My, what a cute blush. If I didn't have to focus on guests tonight, I would totally focus on her.'_

"As I was trying to say, shouldn't you be off mingling with the guests. It is after all your show, Melinda being the generous patroness shouldn't you be with her. Schmoozing I think they call it." Nagisa vaguely waved her hand around.

"I don't think she needs a chaperone. I did this for her; she knows what to do without me by her side." Shizuma dismissed the idea "I like to indulge my wants more than work"

"That was obvious from the beginning" Nagisa muttered

Shizuma smirked huge at that, knowing it was all true, when her eyes caught the flashing light on her watch. Quickly realising the signal she tapped the screen once to silence it, placing her half empty glass onto the nearby table. Gently brushing passed Nagisa as she did so. Any chance she took it. Taking one serious look around, she readied herself hoping Chikaru's eye contacts worked. Nagisa was looking at her in confusion, with a touch of anticipation. Something was definitely in the wind. With no warning at all, the lights in the hall shut off; the crowds gasped in alarm and started to voice their fears. Nagisa was stunned, not by the sudden darkness, but for warm gentle lips pressed on hers. In an instance it was gone leaving a confused and heavily blushing woman in its wake.

* * *

**AN: Hey there readers! I hope this story is going ok please leave a review and tell me what you think. Thanks to you all who have done that allready, it really means a lot to me. Just a quick point, i didn't mean for Nagisa to be so... well as she is in this story. But trust me there is a reason she doesnt like getting too close to people :) Happy reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Shizuma carefully, yet agilely, made her way along the corridors towards the Vaults entrance. Her mind intuitively counting down the time left remaining until the backup generator kicked in and when that happened she had to be within the Vault itself. The etoile had to admit that the contacts of Chikaru's worked like a charm, true they were a bit uncomfortable, however the edge that it gave her spotting security personnel was worth it. Sidestepping to hug the wall Shizuma thought to her earlier escapade _'That had to be the highlight of my night. Hmm… I wonder whether I should count it as a reward. A gift? Or in all honesty payback? The kiss was sweet I have to say. Her blushing face was cute! Now all I have to do now is to get into the vault, bypassing security, planting the tracker and get out. Simple!' _

When the heavy rapid footfalls faded away, the shadow emerged from the walls and continued on. Shizuma realised something was wrong, it was hard not too really. Her steps grew cautious but still moving quickly along. There were guards, too many guards patrolling this section of the mansion. The etoile tried to figure out a distraction tactic that would help her out, her goal lay just within her reach. Glancing at one of the many cameras, Shizuma did a double take. They had either been moved or tampered with somehow and not by her own hands, knowing they didn't possess the ability of night vision she certainly took advantage of the fact. Yet here they were unmoving and seemingly asleep with no indication that they were working at all. _'Strange. That definitely is not Amane's handiwork.' _

Wasting not a second longer Shizuma headed straight for her destination. Not a sound was made or a sight of her glimpsed. Becoming one with the shadows melted her presence from searching eyes. As the guard passed the doorway leaving the corridor empty, for few precious moments, Shizuma quickly rushed to the heavy door flinging the light switch open to reveal the keypad underneath. Hoping the codes hadn't changed Shizuma, a bit regrettably, entered in the digits that Nagisa had unwittingly gave her. It took but a moment for the code to be recognised, a green light flashed alarmingly bright and a loud clunk signalled the door was now open. It was not a moment too soon. The whole Mansion flooded into light, a rumble of noise reached her, recognising it as the guests in the hall no doubt happy that the lights were back on. Whirring came next as the etoile flicked her gaze to the camera noting how it was slowly coming to life. It was time to go. Shizuma heaved open the door and flung herself inside as she shut the door quickly behind her. Standing motionless with her back against the door, ears straining for any sounds of being detected from outside and down below, heaved a heavy sigh of relief when nothing was forthcoming. The first obstacle was complete.

'_Well that was easier than I thought it would be. Now to get around the lower levels. I just have to knock out the guards and techies and I should be okay from there. It still feels wrong to me though. Where did all the extra guards come from? Where did they all go? I'm surprised Amane didn't mention them. I guess I have to be extra cautious from now on.' _Pushing herself off the closed door Shizuma tiptoed down the stairs with only a faint noise echoing her descent. The etoile paused stepping on the last step; a muffled noise from the Vault was heard. Shizuma was torn between what to do, should she just carry on with what she planned or go with a more forceful approach now that more voices could be made out. Shizuma had taken too long. A click of the door was the first and only warning. Blonde hair and black garb was all she needed to make a move. Quickly she shoved him against the wall, too stunned to yell the guard was quickly overpowered. A sharp jab of pain in his neck was the last thing he would remember as Shizuma pulled back and let him fall unceremoniously to the floor. Carefully replacing the needle back into place, namely her hair pin, Shizuma then turned towards the door which she noticed was slightly ajar. _'I hope he was one of the four muscle men.' _

Creeping to the edge of the doorframe, her senses on full alert she waited for a few precious seconds for any more goons to come out. No such luck. Deciding on a plan, her hands fumbled with the slit on her dress near her waist, hidden from view she removed a small cylindrical canister. It didn't look like much that was for sure, but when properly set and released, the gas inside would knock you out in less than ten seconds flat then disperse into harmless excess. Cool huh? With back against the wall she shuffled along taking care not to make a sound. Shizuma readied the canister, pulling the pin away with a soft clink and threw it in the small gap of the open door. In a flash a loud hissing noise erupted from inside, Shizuma quickly shut the door to keep all the gas on the other side, a few muffled shouts were the only clue that there were indeed people inside. The etoile grabbed the handle as it began to descend, fighting against the push that they were giving. The force grew weaker and weaker and it was safe to say that whoever tried was now totally out cold. _'Not what I was planning but it will do. I didn't have to break a sweat either. Now to get inside. I hope the idiot isn't blocking my way in.' _

Looking towards the keypad controls, Shizuma quickly entered the same numbers as before. Reaching for her phone, hidden in a secret pocket, the etoile quickly accessed her fingerprint scanner to complete the rest of the access code. Holding the phone for a few more seconds to be sure, the lock opened with a click. _'Well that was easy'_ as she put her phone away. Smirking a little at how easy her job was going the agent, pushed a little at the door, testing whether there was someone blocking her way or not, finding a little pressure she braced herself. Firmly Shizuma pushed against the door, with the dead weight behind it made her entrance all the noisier and slow.

**CLICK…CLICK**

Stopping dead in her tracks Shizuma held her breath. She strained to hear anything more, but was met with only silence. Hands clenched tight only to reopen them again at her sides were the only signs of her distress. Knowing the only way she could go was forward. Tiptoeing, as best she could with her heels, she moved nearer the edge of the door were she could see a large black boot on the floor. Breathing in deeply she darted her head around the door for a quick check, recognising that all the people in the room were indeed asleep. Coming fully into the room, the agent noticed that there were more guards than her last visit, admitting for the auction that there would be a slight increase in the security. Shizuma moved swiftly past the geeks and guards, pulling yet another clip from her hair as she went made her way to the other door. _'It's a good thing that they make these trackers small now, I wonder where I could have hidden it otherwise.' _The etoile found this door easy to pass, dragging the two men from in front of it, dumping them unceremoniously off to the side.

Without hesitation Shizuma walked on inside. The etoile was used to being pounced on, but this was really taking the pouncing way too far. As soon as the woman entered, rough hands grabbed her from the sides pushing her to the ground. Her grasp on her gadget was flung wide. Shizuma fought hard against them, yet weight was being put on her back making her barely able to move. Numerable clicks of weapons echoed in the Vault. All pointed directly at her. Shizuma raised her head to see black garbed security men weapons ready and poised and knew she was beaten. The next thing she remembered was a hard blow to her head and utter darkness.

* * *

It was night. That was all Shizuma knew. It was dark, cold and really uncomfortable. The cell, or rather the storage room she was being held in, had only one very small window high up, with no chance of her escaping that way. The door was electronically sealed on the other side, no way to force it open or break it down. Her gadgets were useless in this situation. Nothing could be done except sit and wait for her chance. Patience was so not in her genes, it was too boring. Shizuma gazed around at her surroundings, noting the bare necessities, her mind wandering over the past few days. This meant in her case, the different women she had met. Time slowly dragged on, the dark stayed the same as did the impressive silence that filled the room. A soft footfall caught her attention. It was coming this way, she was certain. The footsteps stopped outside of the room, which made Shizuma jump to her feet and quickly made her way to the door. Quiet beeps and taps of keys were heard, telling the etoile of her imminent escape. With a long beep and a resounding click that was quite loud to the prisoner, the door was unlocked. Shizuma waited patiently, alert and ready. What was left of her patience anyway. The thick door slowly swung in, grinding a little on the floor. It was quiet. A figure carefully stepped in, clothed in dark colours, as they took more steps into the room. The hunter pounced.

With trained reflexes, Shizuma quickly disarmed them, pushing them roughly against the wall, with one of the arms twisted roughly behind. A leg quickly shot out, catching her unprepared, as it connected rather hard with flesh, Shizuma grunted in pain and made the mistake of loosening her grip. The prey fought back. A hard elbow jab to the agent's stomach, released all hold, followed swiftly by a foot sweep, knocking the breathless woman off her feet. Not in a good way. Shizuma landed hard on the metal floor, her skills seriously put in to question ever since she arrived. _'This is so not going the way I planned. Then again…'_ The etoile felt warm limbs straddling her, with her arms pinned to her sides and held in a vice grip. Her eyes widened in shock as she recognised the cute voice.

"That's the thanks I get, for trying to help you? You womaniser! And don't get me started on the kiss."

"Nagisa!?"

"Yes. Has the etoile finally gained some sense? Now if you are done playing, can we leave now? It's best for all of us if you get away. I'll lead you."

With that she quickly, but very carefully, removed herself, picking up her fallen equipment, before rushing to look in the corridor. Shizuma, still a little shocked by the events, stood up and joined her by the door, nodding at her in sync that all was clear.

'_Hang on what did she call me earlier? It sounded an awful lot like etoile. That can't be right, it's my code name only those in Astraea…wait a minute. My contact was Amane. It had to be something else.' _All this was rushing through her head as they came upon a closed door. Shizuma abruptly stopped before she collided hard with Nagisa. The red head turned around quickly, giving her a frown before she looked up and down the empty corridor.

"In there you'll find some more…appropriate clothing to wear" Nagisa tilted to her head to the closed door

Shizuma looked down at her black dress and had to agree. It was so not practical to escape in, especially the heels. Reaching for the handle she quickly entered, switching the light on she easily found a duffel bag on the sofa. Rushing over and unzipping it, she was surprised to find that it not only held her own clothes, there were even some of the gadgets she had brought along. Not that Nagisa realised what they were. Slipping off her dress letting it pool to the floor, she rushed to put on some hard wearing black jeans, stout boots, shirt and a jacket which acted like a bullet proof vest. Simple but effective clothing. Now Shizuma had the clothing all settled nicely, she equipped herself with her gadgets, liking the fact that she had them back. Her main escape plan depended on one of them after all. What shocked her most was her handgun in a holster. _'How did she get all of these without being seen? My clothes are easy to get, but this was hidden under the drawer of the bedside table. That girl has some explaining to do.' _

Three taps on the door brought Shizuma to full alert, as she raced over to open and step on out. Nagisa was holding up a hand, it soon became clear why. Voices were heading their way. Shizuma was about to suggest they move, either into the room she just came from or into another corridor however she was beaten to it when Nagisa pulled out her phone. Disbelief shone on her face as she watched the girl fiddle with her phone. _'This is so not the time to be texting or calling anyone! What is she doing?!' _ It was soon made even less sense when the woman wore a small grin. Shizuma just had to wait and see. The voices drew nearer and the sounds of their shoes clomping along were quite clear on the tiled flooring. Placing her hand ready on her gun the etoile waited for the inevitable. The programmer hit the send button. A ring of the radio hit the air, as the footfalls stopped their approach and muttered voices were heard. Then as quickly as they were approaching they were heard quickly leaving in the opposite direction until after a minute nothing more was heard. A heavy sigh from Nagisa was let loose as she quickly hid her phone away and hefted her backpack more securely onto her back, whilst Shizuma shot her a searching glare.

"What the hell just happened?" Shizuma asked her harshly

Nagisa turned her head to face her "They had a more pressing appointment. Shall we get out of here?"

The etoile really wanted to know but now was definitely not the time for twenty questions. The two women crept hurriedly on their senses tuned for any sound. Quietly they travelled the corridors, dipping into rooms or dodging around corners to avoid being seen however there was a lingering question as to why no one noticed their presence. The place was dotted with cameras after all.

"Nagisa how come we haven't been found out yet? The cameras…" Shizuma whispered as they hid around a corner.

"You ask me that now?!" Nagisa was a little astonished by the question "There's nothing wrong with the cameras their working fine, they may have been fiddled with a little mind."

Shizuma let it go since it was working in their favour after all. After the latest person walked on by they quickly scurried on their escape the back veranda door in sight. However two blocked the doorway. This time it was women chatting away instead of the security detail. Hiding behind a tall fern blocking them from view, Shizuma looked ahead her mind working quickly on a plan. Obviously she couldn't use her old time favourite of flirting her way through and her rescuer didn't seem the type to go for it. Speaking of which, the said woman was walking towards them, with a purpose and the etoile had to admit a swish to her step. _'What is she doing!?'_ The agent could only watch from the side-lines as the red head walked closer to the targets, who as soon as they noticed her watched her every step with unconcealed interest. Being far away all the agent could hear was low mumblings, the flustered faces of the two women and gestures made by the hacker.

Whatever was being said was certainly getting the job done. Her rescue seemed to be going smoothly so far as Shizuma watched as the women were about to leave, getting herself ready to move. A large hand clamped on her shoulder making her jump a little in shock.

"Look what I caught out of her cell." A deep voice spoke out

Spinning around grabbing the hand as she went, Shizuma twisted the arm backwards making him screech in pain. Not to be outdone a heavy boot lashed out towards her, nimbly dodging the attack with hands still clenched on the arm, Shizuma jabbed her own hard heel into the back of his legs. Another loud moan filled the air as did a few footsteps heading in her direction, ignoring it the etoile was busy trying to subdue the heavy set guard on the floor who was lashing out strongly. Straddling him Shizuma pinned his arms to the side, his legs still trying to overthrow her as she herself tried to shut him up. With a sharp and powerful surge knocked her off him, as rolled off him and into a crouch with the guard coming into a defensive stance. A flicker of shock shone on his face as a hand reached towards his neck. Shizuma saw a small dart as the man fell to the floor with a thud out cold.

"You sure like to make things interesting don't you? Not to mention making more work for people you know." An irritated voice spoke out

Spinning to her right she saw the red head put something in her bag looking quite vexed at what had just happened. Rising to her full height she walked to the redhead's side in silence. Nothing needed to be said after all.

"We'd best get going and fast, he alerted the security teams that you've been found out of your cell." Nagisa told her hurriedly as they both started outside in sync.

The grounds outside were much harder to traverse, no rooms to duck into or a corner to hide behind, here it was pretty much open. Not to mention the fact that a lot of people were now hunting for them. A shrill alarm pierced the air with loud voices hollering in all directions.

"There's nothing for it, stealth won't work now." Shizuma said looking around her "This is where I say goodbye…"

"Oh please don't say anything. I'm making sure you get away." Nagisa interrupted her and seeing the woman about to disagree spoke hurriedly "If you're worried about me don't be. I have an alibi if I need one. Let's go."

They ran to the perimeter not bothering to hide themselves anymore. Whistles and cries in the distance hinted at being spotted but still they ran. Shizuma knew her back up plan would come in handy all she had to do now was get to it and around it. No sense in blowing herself up or injuring herself when she was this close. As they reached the edge Shizuma grabbed onto the younger woman's hand and led her in the general direction of where she needed to go. It even surprised her that no retort was forthcoming. The two travelled quietly amongst the trees, the darkness made it harder to navigate easily even with her contacts still in. _'I know I'm getting close now it's just up ahead. I hope she's alright I haven't heard a peep out of her since I took her hand. Did I shock her that much? Or is she just that angry? I must say she definitely is a strange one. Wait what was that?' _ A slight pull on the etoile's hand told her that Nagisa had heard it as well. The two women paused side by side, Nagisa clenching the hand a little tighter in suspense.

"What should we do?" Nagisa whispered into Shizuma's ear causing her to shiver in pleasure

Before replying Shizuma looked around, seeing nothing to suggest anything was out of place "I don't see anything or hear anything else. What choice do we have?" whispering back in the same fashion

A shake of her head was all she received, moving more cautiously than before they walked onwards. A small clearing up ahead came into view, where Shizuma had placed her own insurance a few days before.

"Wait a minute something's not right" Shizuma murmured

Her hand went automatically for her handgun, when lines descended from the trees. Shimmying down were heavily armed men, looking around Shizuma decided to make a break until men revealed themselves guns pointed directly at them both. With all the guns pointing at her and her former rescuer there was not a lot to be done. The tree men were untying their clips and set about restraining them and moving them a few steps apart from each other. Held tight and guarded fiercely they seemed to wait for orders. Shizuma struggled against her restraint not liking her predicament a bit, casting a searching glance at Nagisa. The whiz looked angry making sure her guards knew about it too. _'Feisty!' _

The sounds of hands clapping made all heads swivel to see a figure emerging. It was very cliché and very over done in her opinion. A familiar figure was seen when she came closer the lights from the guns gave off a low light all around. It was the lady of the mansion herself.

"Well, well this is a sight to see" Melinda crooned as she looked from one prisoner to the other "what did she threaten you with Nagisa or was it her wild charm?"

A snort came from the redhead as she looked to Melinda in amusement and disdain.

"Oh please! Don't make me laugh. Her charms only work on the gullible ones."

Melinda's eyes flashed in anger, Shizuma was held too tight for her to interfere. No one takes kindly to insults. Melinda slapped Nagisa across the face, hard enough to leave a mark for a good while. Whilst all eyes were watching the scene between Nagisa and Melinda, their attention stopped them noticing someone slip something into Shizuma's pocket.

"I'll make sure you pay for that. Guards restrain them and take them to the holding cell." Melinda yelled angrily

Roughly the women's hands were brought to the front, where handcuffs were quickly clipped on. No searches were performed of their person, which to Shizuma thought it a little strange. Hard shoves pushed the escapee's back towards the manor, both resisting as much as they dared. The guards surrounded them keeping them securely enclosed. Shizuma kept a constant watch on the surroundings, mentally working out where she had planted her emergency backup plan. Moving closer to Nagisa, she casually leaned over; close enough to whisper without being overheard.

"Be ready"

A barely noticeable nod was her answer. _'I hope my planning pays off. I have not only to get myself out, but Nagisa too. We were doing so well too. What went wrong how was the security alerted so fast?' _Lights were shone in their direction from up ahead; dogs were barking and raised voices all in a jumble of sound. They certainly pulled out the big guns to find them. Shizuma took a risk looking to her watch, turning the winder to activate her plans. A red light flashed twice. Everything was set and charging. With the additional guards being drawn in, Melinda giving them a dressing-down for their blunder and sent them on their way to patrol. The main squad continued on, to escort the prisoners back to the cell. Obviously she underestimated the real danger Shizuma can cause, since the etoile had enough.

"All this to search and capture me? I'm very flattered." Shizuma smugly spoke out

Her attitude in the whole situation caught some off guard. Shizuma deftly positioned herself to stand next to Nagisa, arms lightly brushing at the contact.

"I admit, I did try and get into your Vault for information, before your people caught me. But to bring so many security people to come and get me back, now I feel touched" sugar coating her tone

Melinda gave her a scathing glare "Be quiet. You don't seem to grasp your situation. Mark my words; you will be severely punished for making a fool out of me."

Shizuma gave her an indolent shrug looking totally bored. Looks can be deceiving, as she was anything but. Her main focus was on the guards surrounding them and the best possible escape route. Neither looking inviting, Shizuma made a mental note, to think further ahead for these sorts of situations. Once more they were brought up sharply, they were near the main house now, coming up on the rear of the house, the garage looming just in sight. The guard in charge stepped close to Melinda, as they debated on orders and confinement. Nagisa was tapping her foot getting irritated at the whole ordeal. Finally Melinda had finished with him, whilst the head guard started to bark orders to his men. The time was just right. Her watch gave off one flash of green. Stepping right next to Nagisa, Shizuma nudged her slightly.

"Well Melinda I must say it has been fun. Bomb voyage."

The etoile twisted her watch face knocking Nagisa into the ground as she did so, landing heavily on the redhead. Huge explosions rocked the night sky, the closest ones knocking people off their feet. Heat scorched the area and the roars of flames could be heard. One huge explosion rocked everyone, the flames soared to the night sky and even the earth trembled in distress. Shizuma knelt up and tried to help the other one with limited success, as her silver head was turning in all directions. It was just the distraction they needed. The men were in a state of shock and wonder too concerned about the flames rather than the prisoners, making their edging away all the less noticed. Shizuma and Nagisa hunched over tried to creep away unnoticed; though obviously it wasn't going to be that easy.

"To the garage quickly!" Shizuma told her and off they both ran

The two women had gotten quite far by the time anyone realised they were missing, as they made their way inside the building.

"In my right pocket quickly" Shizuma hurriedly told Nagisa

The redhead did as she was told, rummaging awkwardly into the pocket. She instantly felt something metal, small and jagged edges on one end. A key! Pulling it quickly out, it brought a relieved smile to both their faces, as Nagisa set to work on unlocking them. In the background it was total disarray, flames flaring, yells and Shizuma was grateful for the distraction. A click and a rattle and Shizuma's restraints were now open tumbling to the floor, the etoile returned the favour to Nagisa. The young whiz briefly looked around her, noticing for the first time where they were. Shizuma opened them in a flash, tossing the now useless key to the ground along with the handcuffs. _'Now that's settled we need to get out of here. Hang on where is everything?' _Starting to panic a little Shizuma searched the garage, only to find to her horror that there was only the one vehicle. Nagisa was at the door, as she kept her eyes on happenings outside as well as the woman, couldn't resist smirking at her displeasure.

"We need to get out of here fast. I cannot believe you didn't know about the car overhaul check." When she took her eye off the fuming woman, she caught sight of armed men heading their way "No time to be picky. We have to leave now!"

Shizuma saw the iron will on Nagisa's face, swiftly climbing onto the only vehicle. Not a flashy sports car as she would have liked, but a dirt bike. There was one small problem.

"Can you drive?" Nagisa asked ready to get on behind her

"Do you?" Shizuma countered back

Shizuma braced herself; the look she had gotten from Nagisa was deadly enough to kill.

"I'll drive then" Nagisa scathingly told her

Scooting back to let the angry woman on, Shizuma noticed what she had with her. Nagisa quickly got seated and settled, then looked to the ignition. Hence the screwdriver. She could hack her way into computers with ease, but hotwiring a vehicle was on her learning to do list. She shoved the tool in, with many fumbles and starts the engine started up. Not soon enough. Torch lights gleamed at them from the entrance blinding the runaways for a few seconds.

"Stop! Get off the bike slowly" one yelled at them

"I don't think so" Nagisa shouted back, turning to whisper to her passenger "Hold on tight."

Shizuma prayed that the driver knew what she was doing, as she clung on tight to the slim waist. The guards realised they wouldn't cooperate started to advance. Taking but a few steps in, their whole attention on the two, failed to notice a trip line. A click and a loud bang mixed with black dust took the guards by surprise just long enough. Revving the engine, Nagisa charged her way through, her breaths quick and uneasy as a certain etoile had her eyes firmly shut, holding onto her for dear life.

The bike and its two passengers flew out of the garage, knocking the two interceptors to the floor. Shizuma dared to open her eyes, seeing they were making good headway to the perimeter once more. Heads swivelled in their direction and many tried to stop them by standing in their way, much to their own stupidity or firing upon them which luckily missed on all counts. Just as they hit the trees, deep rumblings of engines sounded from behind. Turning to have a look, wanting Nagisa to remained focus ahead, Shizuma saw more trouble heading in their direction.

"This is overkill!" she muttered darkly

"What's overkill?" having heard the remark

"We have company Nagisa!" Shizuma told her

Flicking her head quickly around to see, eyes widened and mouth dropped she turned her attention back to the forest barely dodging a tree that got in her way. Pushing the accelerator to the max the bike went faster, but hardy enough to outrun them. Their escape was not turning out smoothly at all. Gunfire blasted at them and some tried to knock them off or into the trees as they came in around them. Shizuma could do nothing except hold on tight and watch in wonder as Nagisa dodged the attempts. Yet the amount after them was becoming a problem.

"Will you do something about them?!" Nagisa screamed at her as she dodged more fire and trees.

Shizuma looked back at the ones following them, some on bikes and some in open top jeeps all hell bent on killing them or capturing them. Though she had to admit the former did seem more likely. The quick turns of the bike made her think that shooting back was not going to help them, her aim was good but in this situation she wouldn't hit much if anything. _'Think; think what gadgets did Chikaru give me that will help? Nope not that one…or that one. Hang on well I could give it a shot. It's dire enough.' _Another bullet hit much too closely to home. One arm clasped Nagisa tighter to her which in turn the whiz gave a startled yelp of protest.

"Any tighter and I won't be able to breathe!"

"Keep going! Don't mind me" Shizuma told her as she reached over to her boots turning the buckle.

It was a tense moment for Shizuma as she waited for the gadget to warm up. The gunfire was getting closer and more accurate, as splinters of trees erupted as they drove past. That wasn't the only thing bothering her, the redheads driving was too. Nagisa was dodging trees barely in time and not to mention the skids she seemed overly fond of doing. _'She sure can drive. Keeps her nerve too. I wonder how she learnt all of this. Well times up!' _Still keeping her arm firmly wrapped around the toned waist Shizuma hesitated for a brief second.

"Please do something!" the driver yelled as she veered out the path of yet another bike

Shizuma grabbed the buckle and tore it off in a flash. The rest was a sight to remember. The second the buckle was tore off, the heel opened up showing dozens of small red blinking lights. A hiss was all the warning it gave. Red lights rushed out of their confined space leaving a smoking heel in their wake. As programmed the heat seekers sought out their intended prey. A praying Shizuma was watching the missiles carefully, knowing she was sitting on a potential target herself. The red darts flew wildly the men driving both jeeps and bikes paid no heed. Well until things started to really heat up. The first few missiles found their first prey a jeep. One second it was fine the next a huge fireball lit the night sky, the force of damage made it flip crashing into yet another jeep behind. Vehicles swerved around yet no such luck. Fire raged as another went up with another following in quick succession. The missiles didn't have a very affective range or power for long seeking by the few explosions knocked the security out of pursuing. Three jeeps and two bikes that had exploded all in all, leaving two women gobsmacked by the amount of firepower in the little buggers.

"Shit! What was that?!" Nagisa screamed at her

"Keep going until we hit the coast" Shizuma informed her

Shizuma was trying not to show her own amazement at what she had just done. The mini heat trackers filled with explosives, in her own boot heels, was something she was seriously going to have to take up with Chikaru the next time she saw her.

"Damn that woman, her creativity knows no bounds" Nagisa mumbled

Shizuma caught onto that, knowing that the hacker didn't intend for her to hear. _'She doesn't look that shocked at what I just did, or at the gadgets themselves. The creative woman must be Chikaru she's muttering about, but how on earth does she know her? I guess I wasn't imagining things after all; she did call me by my code name back there. Nagisa we have to talk.' _


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

_Astraea naval vessel: Celtic Sea_

They were being escorted through the tightly and cramped corridors, as men and women stood back to let them get past with ease. Their guides were silent, as they walked on leaving Shizuma and Nagisa to their own dark thoughts. _'At least this is one of our vessels. I have a very strange feeling that M is going to be down here somewhere. I will so get a scolding; then again that's nothing new, she has done that since Miator. Nagisa seems to be at ease here. She is not just some programmer for sure. The past few days have proved it. I must admit she is one cute tough cookie.' _The front guide stopped in front of a door, with his arm held out signalling for them to enter, as they did they saw a hand scanner and a walkthrough x-ray machine.

Shizuma sighed and stepped purposely into the room, placing her hand on the scanner. A green light moved up and down, an image appearing on the screen next to it of the hand being scanned. After the scanning was complete, a quick dive into the database brought up Shizuma's real profile to affirm her identity. Next she walked over to the walkthrough x-ray, waiting patiently for the woman to start it up. When the technician nodded her head for her to go, Shizuma calmly took her time to walk it; her skeleton image displayed nothing out of the ordinary. The usual gadgets they expected her to be equipped with, all hallmarked with a flourished '_L_' to indicate their safety. Shizuma smiled as she walked over to Nagisa, leaning over to whisper a word of encouragement.

"It's fine, just standard procedure. Just do what I did and we will be out of here in no time." Indicating for her to go, with a slight slant of her head.

Nagisa looked like she was about to laugh, as she quickly stepped up to the first machine. Shizuma looked on watching how calm; the young red head was around all this. Just as before, the scanning of hand took a little time, diving into records of Astraea's database. When her profile came up, the guide looked a little surprised at her information but nodded his head in confirmation. Shizuma caught the surprise on the military man, once more being left out the loop. She honestly didn't like it. When Nagisa stepped towards the last machine, Shizuma came around to the screen, wanting to know certain things. The technician bobbed her head, Nagisa walked slowly through her image showing up on the screen. Shizuma saw at once that the woman had gadgets on her person, numerous ones, all different in sizes and styles. When the technician focused her attention on them, scanning for their danger, a familiar design popped up to confirm their safety. Shizuma was staring wide eyed at the stylish '_L_', not aware that Nagisa was looking over her shoulder very close to her ear.

"Am I good to go?" Nagisa purred in her ear, warm breath mingling in.

Shizuma pulled back, startled at the voice, looking keenly at the red head. Nagisa looked innocent, too damn innocent for Shizuma's liking.

The military guide took the necessary data and stepped towards the door "If you will follow me"

With that they exited the room and once more followed after the man, who led them to a more spacious corridor. It was definitely where the higher ups were situated. So it was, when a familiar sight to Shizuma, stood outside a large door, waiting patiently for them to arrive. Tamao nodded her head to Shizuma and turned towards the other, who made her smile brightly. Nagisa smiled, lighting up her whole face quickly stepped passed the guide and roughly pulled Tamao in a bone crunching hug. Both were trying to break ribs, with the force they were giving to the hugs. Light laughter rang out after a few seconds, as Shizuma looked on. Tamao was the one to break the hug, as she stepped out still holding onto Nagisa's hands, looking her once over.

"It has been too long Nagisa. I didn't realise it was you, Etoile was bringing with her"

"It has Tamao, I've missed you. I guess I screwed up a little huh." Nagisa indicated Shizuma with a flick of her head.

Not wanting to be a bystander Shizuma butted in "I take it you two know each other, after that little show. Mind filling me in?"

Nagisa let go of Tamao and turned to face the Etoile "No. I suggest you save that activity for when you complete the mission."

Tamao blushed slightly at what her friend had implied, knowing the etoile's reputation all too well. Shizuma herself blushed a little at the wording looking stunned to the programmer. Nagisa just stood and stared at her with no expression showing on her face. Tamao not liking the tension quickly pulled herself together and coughed to gain their attention.

"Shall we go in? M is waiting for you, as well as Chikaru and the Military. This way."

Tamao turned around and opened the heavy steel door, stepping to the side to let the other two in. Thanking the guide for his service, taking the data from him Tamao closed the door. The three women made their way further in, the interior of the room revealed high tech gadgetry. Glass maps with lights flashing on certain areas, screens filled with undecipherable data, a huge table showing a map of the area, all around men and women walked with purpose. Tamao took them around the table, dodging a wayward pointer, and guiding them to yet another door. They were all quickly ushered inside and seated down with four new faces to look upon.

"What happened, Shizuma?!" Miyuki dove right on in

"She put her foot in it" Nagisa muttered hanging her head down low

Shizuma gave her a quick glare "I underestimated Miss Carter, she had more defences than what I was lead to believe. Before I knew it alarms had been tripped before I could complete it."

"Did you plant the tracker into the plans so we could track its whereabouts?" Kaname asked her briskly looking less than pleased

Shizuma didn't respond, giving her a silent answer instead. Miyuki shook her head, whilst the military officers looked angry. Chikaru kept her sharp eyes on Nagisa knowing the young woman from past experiences.

"Nagisa did you plant one we could trace?" Chikaru sweetly asked, her mouth forming a bright smile when Nagisa winked at her.

"Don't worry your pretty smart head over it Chikaru. Once this one messed it up I went back, looking at the bug she wanted to place. I recognised your work. After all the security personnel scanned the plans, to check for anything, I planted it. The tracker should be working fine and okay for you to trace" Smiling brightly to all those present.

Shizuma felt like strangling something, or more accurately someone. Miyuki looked over to her long-time friend and top agent, taking note of her bottled up temper towards the redhead. Before she could defuse it Shizuma lost it.

"Who are you really?" Shizuma angrily asked of her

Nagisa looked over to the angry woman not looking the least bit afraid, sitting back comfortably in her chair

"You know who I am already; I don't think you forgot that. The question you should be asking is _'what am I.'_ I am like you, I work for Astraea my special skill is computer hacking and designing. I have been undercover for the past few months, trying to find out about Melinda Carter's associates."

Shizuma continued to give the young woman a hard stare, barely registering the fact that Chikaru had risen from her seat. It had all made a certain sense especially from the way that the hacker had acted around her and the gadgets she used. Still keeping a close eye on Nagisa, she tuned into the conversation that was happening around her, clocking the look that M was giving her as well.

"I'll keep a close eye on the tracking bug that Nagisa planted, my guess it will take a while before it's reached its final destination. Especially with all the drama that came with it." Chikaru shot the etoile an amused look.

M nodded her head at Chikaru's statement as the woman left the room, giving Nagisa a pat on her shoulder as she went. The two Military personnel also rose, after they heard the plant had been successful, they were quietly chattering to each other about the pros and cons of using the recovered plans for their own gains.

"We'll leave you to it M. This is in your court now I hope you don't mess it up. Keep in touch, we'll help if we can" the General told her

"Of course. I'll let you know when we do." M nodded her head to them

The room's occupants dwindled down to the remaining four, all of whom were seated quietly yet uncomfortable. Tamao was sorting through documents on M's desk, whilst the boss was sharply assessing her two agents. Shizuma was not happy at all as she looked M straight in her eyes.

"Shizuma, why were you shocked to learn of Nagisa's true nature?" she asked her friend.

Tamao finished tiding the desk, shuffling a few documents together before giving the women her full attention, noticing the etoile's raised eyebrow. Shizuma looked from M to Tamao and then to Nagisa, who to her looked as indifferent as ever. _'Why am I so shocked? It's not the first time I've been unaware of others working in the shadows for another purpose. I guess I hate being lied to any time of day. Strange I know. But why put two people in the same manor and then add myself?' _

"I hope my contact got out of the manor unscathed." noticing the confused look on the blunettes and the small flinch from Nagisa.

"Shizuma your contact was Nagisa" M informed her with a puzzled look

"My contact was Amane Otori." Shizuma corrected her

Three heads swivelled around to face Nagisa, who was looking slightly uncomfortable at the attention. M was giving her a hard stare, as she continued to glare hard at the hacker with Tamao and Shizuma looking at her in puzzlement. Knowing she couldn't escape it any further Nagisa held her head high looking straight at her boss.

"Yes the etoile's contact was Amane, only because I made it that way." Nagisa said

"Explain!" Miyuki growled "Last time I knew, we made her your contact and lookout on your mission."

"Simple really. Amane is the least suspicious to be found in the etoile's company, no one looked twice when they talked so she blended in rather well. A good thing too since whenever we were found talking there was a lot of gossip hitting the roof. I made a good decision." Nagisa explained "I asked her approval first M and she agreed. A bit uneasy about it at first to be honest."

Shizuma just glared at her. A few things clicked together in her mind as she replayed some of their conversations with both women. Amane didn't really strike her as a field agent mainly by her reluctance to help out at the auction. Now Nagisa, she was the best to be positioned as her informer, her intimate knowledge with the security and data and her close relationship with Miss Carter too. _'Damn this girl! She played all of us. Then again she did do the right thing, talking with Amane tore eyes away from me making me less suspicious. But putting her in danger like that.' _

"How dare you put Amane in that position…" Shizuma started until Nagisa jumped right on in.

"Me? You're an idiot etoile. I didn't ask her to look around the perimeter the night of the auction, without knowing the full facts. Not to mention telling her that whilst you were in the stable." Noticing the shocked face of the woman "oh yes I heard everything. That's why I took her off the job you gave her."

"You left her unprotected Nagisa?" Tamao was stunned

"Do you really think that Tamao?" the blunette shook her head in shame

"No wonder I was caught so easily." Shizuma sighed

"Actually that was your own fault. I tried to get Amane to hint at the security double rotation which was put into effect." Nagisa told her

"If I had help…"

"I'll take the thank you if you don't mind. Since I was monitoring the cameras and watching your every move." Nagisa crossed her arms staring defiantly at the agent.

Shizuma was at a lost, this conversation making her head spin a little at what went on without her knowing. It just didn't sit right with her. Sparing Miyuki a quick glance, who was looking more unsettled than herself before she sat down heavily in her chair.

"It seems to me that despite everything, it all ended up the way we planned." Miyuki observed as she looked from one irate agent to the other "there is however some changes to this operation."

Shizuma gave her friend and boss a hard stare "What do you mean changes?"

"As of now and until the mission is over, I am pairing the two of you to work together on this." Her voice drowned out at by a ferocious cry

"What!?" Shizuma yelled as she stood up suddenly from her chair looking dangerously at M "you want me to partner up with her" pointing menacingly at Nagisa.

"Like I want to be partnered with you. A womaniser like you we would get caught in no time." Nagisa struck back standing up rather slowly, turning her gaze to Miyuki in a silent plea for leniency "I have completed what I was asked to do, why must you torture me with this?"

"I need someone with your skills to help Shizuma out Nagisa. These plans are highly advanced, if it indeed is let loose, I need you on the front line. Shizuma doesn't have the ability to do it with ease, you however can." Miyuki explained.

"Can I have a taser to go? That way I can shock her back into reality before her lust gets the best of her." Nagisa teased Shizuma, making Tamao giggle softly behind her hand.

"I'll take the gag Miyuki; something has to shut her up." Shizuma growled low

* * *

"May I?" Shizuma asked Tamao standing behind a vacant seat opposite her.

The blunette was too busy multi-tasking between eating and reading, to notice her so she jumped slightly at the question. Nodding her head she went back to her tasks whilst Shizuma began to eat. It was a nice atmosphere as they both finished eating, and reading, to enjoy a cup of tea to finish off.

"No Nagisa? That is a surprise since you two have been as thick as thieves since we got here"

"Nagisa is fine tuning the data tracker on those plans, as well as inputting some data into the mainframe. I left her to it, after all I needed to get theses document read and checked for M. She did mention coming by when she was done. Does the etoile miss her company?"

Shizuma ignored the last part completely as she sipped her tea in silence. She was knocked out of her reverie when she caught lilac eyes staring at her, not in a bad way, more questioning than anything.

"What's with the staring?" she finally asked

"I'm not sure you will like the direction of my thoughts." Tamao softly said

"That's hardly an answer"

"Isn't it?" Tamao sipped on her juice, still keeping her gaze on Shizuma and vice versa.

Shizuma was peeved; playing word games annoyed the hell out of her and this particular one made her wary. The very tone Tamao used sounded sad and at the same time accusatory.

"Be like that then. You have been around Miyuki for far too long."

"Running away? I wonder who you run from more, yourself or your past. You and Nagisa are similar in that regard." Tamao sighed.

Shizuma knew she wouldn't like where this could lead. Not to mention it was Tamao who was saying this to her. _'I would have expected this off Miyuki but not her. What would she know of my deepest heart? And why is she bringing that redhead into this?' _

"I'm doing this for M in a sense. Have you ever stopped to consider in these past two years, that others are affected by your actions? Whenever she starts to reminisce about her past, it makes her flinch in pain. M doesn't see her best friend in you anymore, only as a shadow you've become. We both know the reason why and I am not going into that hornets' nest. Nagisa is the same by locking away her feelings and not letting anyone in. I miss the bright, bubbly and often childish attitude she used to have. Her I understand. You I cannot. Suffice to say, I will warn you this once, if you hurt my best friend in anyway there will be serious hell to pay"

Tamao hung her head slightly her long speech wearing her out emotionally. Shizuma was mad, trying very hard to keep it in check. It made her realise something about her anger most of all. It confused her. Was she mad at Tamao or herself?

"Damn it!" Shizuma yelled.

Shooting up from her chair she stormed out of the galley, drawing every eye her way. Wrenching the door open she barged past someone knocking them hard to the side, not bothering to see if they were ok, she continued on. _'Damn that girl! Why did she bring that up now of all times? I can't figure out who I'm angrier at, her or myself. Kaori.'_

* * *

Shizuma couldn't sleep in the stuffy room, the humming of the engines rattled her nerves than calmed her. Deciding it was best to remedy her sleepless mind; hot milk would do the trick. _'I need to get some sleep. I haven't had a good night's rest these past few days. I wish I had a comfortable bed, that bunk is as hard as anything.' _Shizuma lost in thought came across the galley, about to enter she paused, as she heard voices wondering on whether or not to intrude. _'Why the galley of all places and at this time of night? Now I'm here I want my warm milk. If only they allow alcohol when M is aboard. Hold on, that's a familiar voice.' _All intentions of entering were gone as she moved closer to the door to listen in. Shizuma had a small internal battle with her conscience for this, ultimately her need won out.

"I missed our midnight chats Nagisa" Shizuma recognised as Tamao

"So do I. How has everything been going? I'm guessing you like your work placement, it's a top position for one as young as you" then a little chuckle was heard "Especially who you work closely with"

"Nagisa!" Tamao scolded her

"Fine, fine have it your way. Gosh I didn't know you were so sensitive about it" Nagisa sighed

Shizuma had a hunch what point Nagisa was trying to make. Even she was sure that there was something brewing between the boss and assistant. If she tried to tease her, the things Miyuki could do to her caused her to shiver. Once more she listened in to the change of topics.

"How are you doing Nagisa, really?" Tamao asked in concern

"I'm fine honestly. Don't worry about me"

"Don't lie." Tamao cut in "Not to me"

Silence reigned for a little while, Shizuma had every intention of staying put to listen.

"I really am doing okay. I get the occasional nightmares and flashes, but the doc says it should pass in time."

"Have you talked to someone about it?" a timid voice asked "Want to talk to me?"

"I would have thought you would know all about it, being close to M and all"

"Only what they named it, 'The Turncoat Massacre'. Miyuki briefly got me up to date on events, when she told me who was involved and kindly informed me on your status. The last I heard of you."

Shizuma frowned upon hearing the information, knowing full well the details surrounding the massacre. It also told her a bit of Nagisa's attitude and fears from before. _'No wonder she doesn't easily trust others or open up easily. The fear she shows. Still there has to be more to her than that, the glimpses I have seen from her. I guess that was a point Tamao brought up earlier.' _Nagisa's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Maybe another time Tamao, when I understand my own mind a bit better." Her voice, sounding on the verge of breaking.

A screech of a chair moving, put Shizuma on standby, as she still stood there listening in. It filled her heart with sadness as she heard muffled cries within. _'How long has she been like that?' _Shizuma finally let them have some privacy, forgoing her warm milk; she retired to her own room to find whatever sleep she could get.

* * *

It was two days before any more news of the plans came to light. Two days filled with nothing to do and nothing to see. Shizuma found new respect for those submariners, how they coped being cooped up was beyond her. So the news was a welcome relief, as she strode into the office. Greeting everyone she sat down and waited for M to begin, stealing a quick glance at Nagisa. Now there was a topic that puzzled her. Ever since her snooping she tried to understand the girl, but realising that was just not going to be possible at the moment with everyone there, she promised to do so whilst they were alone. It had nothing whatsoever, zilch, nada to do with being a bit afraid of opening up. Not a bit. Returning to the present Shizuma accepted a cup of lovely Assam tea listening to M as she began.

"We have a location of the plans as well as a name and face of who brought them." Swivelling in her chair to face the right wall a huge screen came to life, clicking on a remote to bring up footage "This is…"

"Kenzo Reede. Blimey never thought to come across him again." Nagisa surprised everyone with her proclamation

"You know him Nagisa?" Shizuma asked her

"I know _of_ him. He used to be the top of his field in technology advancement. Until he was caught working on something illegal and was shut down. No one heard from him again though his work comes to light every so often." Nagisa explained earning nods all around

"He is known by another name. 'The Archive'." M barely refrained from rolling her eyes

"What a stupid name" Nagisa muttered with a nod of agreement from surprisingly Tamao

"He is currently residing at one of his many houses, scattered across the Greek islands. The one he is currently occupied in is in Rhodes." M ignored the earlier comment and ploughed on "Mr Reede is a very private person so information on him is rather restricted. Certain details about his lifestyle and working schedule are well hidden. Even Nagisa had no such luck in finding them"

"You didn't find anything Nagisa?" Tamao was a little stunned as she stared at her friend

"Nope." Shaking her head "If I did find something that would help us, there was always a warning attached to it. If I looked into them they would know someone was researching him."

"If we got a hold of his private codes can you access them at leisure?" Shizuma wondered

"Of course." Nagisa confirmed

"You can work out the details as you travel there. What I want from you is to find him and stop him. The plans themselves…" M looked thoughtful

"Whatever he is about to do isn't very good especially with the 'Trojan Horse.' We will either return with them or without. No one should have that kind of power." Nagisa pointed out

"Our analysts think he is working to a time scale. The problem is we don't know what at this point. So as soon as we know you will know." Tamao said to the two nodding agents

"Well then here are your passports agents. Since Melinda may have sent people after you, these will hinder them somewhat. Thanks to Nagisa scrambling things up, it may be an unnecessary precaution." Miyuki pushed them towards the two, a glitter twinkling in her eye.

Shizuma took hers, looking directly at the picture and information in habit. Her sharp eyes caught on something. The etoile hoped beyond hope that it was a computer error, yet deep down she knew it to be true. Shizuma started with Nagisa who took her passport without opening it, turning her scrutiny to Tamao who looked like she usually did, knowing that she had to be in on this. Then there was Miyuki who was watching her like a hawk, with a smile trying to break through. Shizuma just glared trying very hard to keep her temper in check.

"Good luck. Check in with Chikaru both of you and Nagisa stop by and see Shion. I want both of you at the top of your game." Miyuki gave them a nod "By and by please behave your selves."

That did it. Shizuma shot up from her chair, bringing with it two startled jumps and a long suffering sigh.

"Behave? I'm not the one cooking up funny aliases." Shizuma gritted her teeth.

"EEEEEEH!" A loud yell rang out in the room, someone just caught on.

"Is there a problem? I can always come back." A calm voice came from the door.

Chikaru walked in, stopping to the right of Nagisa still looking a little uncertain as to the mounting tension.

"Chikaru did you think up this plan?" Shizuma waved her passport at her.

"Now Shizuma…" Miyuki was cut off

"Ah…the whole idea was Tamao's. A married couple draws less attention than two siblings or friends. Especially since you can't stop flirting anyways, only now you have to make sure Nagisa is the target of them."

A part of Shizuma knew it made sense, but her raised ire was directed at Tamao who looked really, really uncomfortable. Nagisa stalked up to her so called best friend, making her prey step back a little in fear. Stopping right in front of her, Nagisa leaned in close.

"I am so going to get you back for this, you and your certain someone."

Shizuma looked to Miyuki as this went on; the cold stone mask was in place. It failed somewhat as the last words came out making her flinch faintly. Shizuma nodded her head; the message was made very clear. Mission first revenge after. Turning to face Chikaru, who was watching them with delight, the etoile gained her attention.

"So we got new toys?" Shizuma pulled her out if it

"Oh yes! Let's go see!"

Nagisa looked happy at the prospect as she left her friend, following the two. _'Her mood changes so fast. It's written all over her face what she's feeling. It shouldn't be too hard to work with her or get along.'_

"Chikaru did you get my Taser order?" Nagisa probed the gadget designer.

The three stopped by the door, Nagisa closest to it hand ready on the handle.

"A Taser Nagisa? You've never wanted one before as far as I can recall."

Nagisa opened the door and stepped on through, looking back over her shoulder to the others.

"I need one now more than ever. If I have to play her wife, I need to shock her if she gets a little too frisky. Then again she's constantly in that state."

Nagisa barely dodged the lunge, Shizuma looking ready to kill. The etoile watched as Nagisa wore a bright smile, as she walked in front of them to the temporary lab on-board, keeping an eye Shizuma all the way.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all your reviews so far. Its certainly been helping my confidence in getting this published and writing :)  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

With dawns rays the two new partnered agents left the submarine, with their gadgets and papers all in order. They made their way into France, with the help of Shizuma and her ability to speak like a native, soon settled into the airports lounge. During the journey they spoke mostly of their aliases and the mission itself, nothing anymore personal. Shizuma knew from past experiences that getting a firm background on their _supposed_ relationship helped in the long run. Trying to tell the redhead anything of the sort was not well received. It was deflected or another conversation expertly weaved in. It was frustrating. Sitting in the quiet lounge with only a few others around for the moment Shizuma was drinking her tea, deep in thoughts as her programmer was lost in her tablet. Shizuma decided once more to broach the subject.

"Nagisa?" Shizuma prodded

"Yes?"

Thinking a little on her approach "Can I ask you something? It's about our plans…in a sense"

Nagisa looked at Shizuma placing her tablet on the table in front, sensing an important topic at hand. Turning her body to face her partner Nagisa settled down to listen.

"Answer me this honestly. Does it bother you that much about this whole relationship thing that you don't want to discuss it or is it something else?"

"It doesn't bother me at all. There's also no point in acting like a couple either until the occasion calls for it, as for the background I doubt there will be any questions about it" Nagisa told her with a shrug of her shoulders.

Shizuma knew that there was something else hidden away in those words, especially how guarded Nagisa seemed to get when she asked the question. Just when Shizuma was going to ask mission details, a middle aged rich couple, judging by their clothes and superior attitude they displayed, sat down on the opposite sofa making mission talk impossible.

The snooty couple were seriously asking for it. When they had found out about their marriage, albeit an alibi one at that, they instantly turned from moderately tolerated to assholes in under a second. Shizuma lowered her eyes, to keep her expression of death from drawing unwanted attention. Her looking glance told her that Nagisa was in the same mind frame; her hands were clenched so tight that her knuckles were white and the rapid tapping of her foot. Shizuma reached over to put her hand over hers, gently loosening the death grip, all under radar from those opposite. _'I hate narrow-minded toads. Besides who asked for their remarks on who I date whatever the sex. I wish they shut up before I make them.' _

"I can't see how two women can have a satisfying and filling relationship." Mrs Snooty sniffed

"I find my wife to be able to satisfy me just fine" Nagisa gave them a little smile.

Shizuma was able to hold her expression, just barely, from Nagisa's remark. Inside she was all blissful. When she saw the shocked expressions of the couple opposite, then over to Nagisa who still wore a fake smile, bringing a true one to her own lips. '_I can play this game.'_

"I just have to agree" Shizuma put her arm around Nagisa, drawing her in close, the redhead willing played along "We've put up with people and your views before, we both like women, just because of an obvious difference, doesn't stop us from getting satisfied and fulfilled on a regular basis."

"Hmm… brings back some pleasant memories" Nagisa looked dreamy "remember the whipped cream honey?" looking straight at Shizuma as she said it.

The etoile felt the laughter bubbling in her partner, giving her a full out smirk as she launched into a descriptive and realistic story. As she told her story, getting more descriptive and not to mention saucy, the couple got more and more embarrassed. Nagisa couldn't bear to watch, hid her face in the crook of Shizuma's neck, in a last ditch effort not to burst out in hysterical laughter. The prankster enjoyed watching them squirm, the warm breath on her neck making herself squirm, but in pleasure rather than discomfort. Shizuma decided to finish her tale, what she cooked up brought too many ideas to her own mind what she would like to do with the one trying to stifle her giggles.

"Yeah the whipped cream and strawberries is something to remember. I personally recommend it if your own bedroom activities are getting a little stale. Want to hear of the sacrifice theme we cooked up?" looking delighted at the idea.

The snobbish couple were not willing to sit through another story, as they quickly made up a lame excuse as they left the two laughing agents be. Shizuma laughed outright when they vanished, Nagisa quickly joined in, both laughing so hard tears were streaming down their faces. Many eyes looked their way in wonder, but it didn't deter them a bit. After a while they calmed themselves down, Nagisa wiping her eyes relaxing back into her chair. Both of them forgetting, the intimacy in which they still sat in. A calm peace settled over them, unlike before where there was always some tension between them.

"I needed that" Nagisa murmured

"I didn't know you could be a little devil Nagisa" Shizuma teased her

"I can be when the occasion calls for it" sticking her nose in the air rather haughtily.

Shizuma gave her a wide grin which was returned right back. The two agents began small talk, to carry on the light atmosphere, secretly both enjoying the conversation.

* * *

They arrived in Rhodes after a few hours of flight greeted by the humidity and the barren beautiful scenery of what the island had to offer. A long drive later in what could only be described as a hair-raising experience in the local cab they arrived at their hotel, a short distance from the harbour and the centre of a large town. The room itself was simple yet lavish, with two single beds, a balcony overlooking the sea in the distance and an en-suite to complete. Shizuma dumped her suitcase by the foot of the bed and her holdall on top, wanting nothing more than to have a good long soak in the tub. Putting that idea aside she opened the balcony doors wide, letting in the gentle breeze as she stepped outside and leant against the railing letting her mind wander. _'There are worst places to be sent to. First we have to find him and then the plans. I think Nagisa was looking into that, I wonder what she found out.' _Turning back to face the apartment she found an endearing sight to be sure. Two suitcases were flung carelessly on the floor whilst a laptop bag neatly deposited on the table, the owner was the one she found amusing. Half flung on the bed the woman was fast asleep with mouth open slightly and soft snores filled the silence.

"What a cute sight" Shizuma softly spoke

Shizuma decided to leave her be, knowing that the redhead had been tapping away on her laptop the entire time whilst they were travelling. Leaving the room she decided to go for a small walk around the hotel, making sure she had a firm plan of the surrounding area. You could never be too careful after all. The evening rays of the setting sun shone beautifully, with deep orange on the lowest horizon with streaks of blue heralding the night. Walking slowly letting the hustle and bustle flow around her, Shizuma spotted a small supermarket up ahead and headed straight for it. Through the sliding doors just to the right, Shizuma glanced sparingly at a newspaper stand, not paying it much thought. _'I wonder what I came in here for. Wish there was a pool nearby, I would love a swim. They seem to be having a good chat, guess I'll amuse myself with the local news while I wait.' _Her languid steps led her back to the stand near the door, as she picked up a random paper her eyes glazed over at the words. Turning the pages her eyes widened at a familiar image causing her to gasp in shock. Quickly closing the paper she rushed towards the cashier desk, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for the friendly chat to end. Paying for her purchases, Shizuma legged it outside and rushed as fast as she could back to the hotel.

Bursting into the room, out of breath and hunched over in her exertion she managed to glimpse Nagisa fall from her bed in surprize landing head first on the floor. If she was fast asleep before she was certainly awake now. Shutting the door behind her Shizuma sat down heavily on her bed, watching as Nagisa picked herself up of the floor grumbling and shooting the etoile dirty glances as she did so.

"What is it with you and shocking people?" Nagisa asked grumpily sitting down on her own bed

"Sorry I didn't mean to rush in like that." Handing the paper over "this will make it clear"

Shizuma watched as Nagisa gingerly took the paper and flipped through its pages. She knew when she reached the same page as herself earlier, Nagisa's eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly.

"Well forgive me now?" Shizuma teased her a little

Ignoring the jibe Nagisa talked aloud "Saves us looking for him for sure. This ball his hosting tomorrow evening has some big shots going by the looks of it."

"We need to get in there. The only trouble with that is how we get inside, preferably as one of the guests."

"True. You have a lot more freedom than being one of the staff. Getting hold of information is not going to possible." Nagisa shoulders slumped a little

Shizuma closed her eyes and leant back on her hands as she tried to think of a way to get into the exclusive party. They didn't have a lot of time to come up with anything either. Silence ensued. A musical tone broke the silence, making Shizuma jump a little as she rummaged in her pocket for her phone. Looking at the ID she raised her brow and hit the speaker.

"Etoile. Nagisa. I hope you're settled in." M's voice blared out on speaker

"Yes Miyuki all settled in" Shizuma rolled her eyes

"Don't roll your eyes Shizuma." M reprimanded her making Nagisa smirk "Any news?"

"Well does the fact that Reede is hosting a gathering for the elite and colleagues in his field tomorrow night count?" Shizuma told her

"That was fast even for him" M said with a question surrounding her words

"The same thing has crossed our minds" Nagisa opted in

_Outside in the hotels hallway_

A creaky cart made their way down the corridor pushed by a maid belonging to the hotel. The cart was surprisingly empty which was strange in itself; the maid themselves was one of the many that worked there however looking closer, the boots of sturdy wear were not exactly part of the uniform, yet walking with a purpose all the same looking closely at the number of the doors as they went. Arriving at their destination, glancing up and down the hall they stooped low and pushed something under the door. In a flash they hauled the cart down and away.

_Back inside the room_

"Hang on Miyuki" Shizuma interrupted her boss putting the mobile on the table

She watched Nagisa pick up the paper from the doorway and hand it over, before flinging the door open and rushed outside. A few minutes later she came back shaking her head in loss. Shizuma nodded to her once before turning back to the delivered suspicious mail, noting no markings or any clues on the outside. Opening the envelope and peeking inside she couldn't believe her eyes. Nagisa was by her side looking quite irritated at being left out of the loop.

"Well is it anything I should know about or is it from one your many exes' I shouldn't know about?" Nagisa grumbled folding her arms across her chest

Shizuma shot her a look handing it over and picking up the phone once more "Well M I think we found a way in"

"Yeah though I wonder who helped us." Nagisa quietly whispered

* * *

The next day was busy with getting so many things in order for their night time jaunt into the world of Kenzo Reede. They hauled their best evening gowns out; made sure their aliases were set tight with plenty of background history. To make sure that they both worked to the best of their ability, Shizuma put Nagisa into her familiar role of her computer programmer mind, knowing that she could whiz talk her way around with the best of them. All they could do was wait until evening, which made the etoile wonder what was worst. The waiting or the unknown.

Come time the taxi pulled up outside the two agents were all bedecked in their finery. Shizuma in a stunning strapless white gown that fell to her ankles with black designs curling around the edges and Nagisa in a bright red dress that came to knee height with layers that reached behind that fell to the ankles. They would certainly turn heads when they arrived.

Arriving at the hall they were greeted with quite the spectacle. Lights shone at the entrance with valets all handsomely dressed waiting for the next guest and tip. Many guests were already making their way inside, with many outside trying to look in or taking photos for the next morning's news. Pulling to the kerb the taxi stopped and one of the men held open the door in a gentlemen fashion as Shizuma was the first to exit. Thanking him she turned to help her partner and both walked inside and side by side. More members of staff was lined and waiting taking the guests coats and other articles, what got Shizuma's interest was some of the security that lined the entryway. Her partner gave her a small nudge, which when she turned round to face was met with an irritated face of the redhead and an indifference face of the staff.

"May I take your coat madam?" he asked

Shizuma nodded her head quickly as she handed her coat over and walked her way on through. Noticing the absence of her partner she turned back around to see what was keeping her.

Shizuma watched Nagisa in slow motion, taken aback at the skill she showed, as the young woman tripped forward to be caught by the security guard. Not the skill in being a klutz but what followed soon after. Shizuma nearly missed it herself since it all happened so fast. The young whiz was seemingly an expert in pickpocketing. As Nagisa fell forward, she quickly clawed off his security tag with one hand, whilst she held on tight to her purse in the other. The flustered guard helped to steady her feet, the blushing redhead kept up a demure role.

"I'm so very sorry" Nagisa apologised as her hands were working.

The security tag was quickly passed under her bag; a pale light shone once on the clasp as Nagisa swiftly and discreetly pinned it back on like it was before. Shizuma watched her partner with a small smile as Nagisa walked over to her and both walked together into the main hall.

"Where did you learn that skill?" whispered Shizuma

"You mean you can't?" looking over to Shizuma, receiving a raised eyebrow for her answer.

The hall was huge and lavish. Everything was expensive, to suit the mood of the night. Three chandeliers hung from the ceiling lighting up the hall in all its glory, stain glassed windows with beautiful wood and marble flooring. The tables and chairs were mahogany carved, dotting around were busts and statues of the Greek pantheon. Definitely for the rich and famous. The tables were situated at the furthest end of the hall away from the doors, some filled with food others for people to eat and sit around. Waiters were serving drinks on silver trays as they mingled among the guests, carrying wine and champagne. The rest of the floor space, was unoccupied as the majority stood around the edges, in Shizuma's experience if there was an orchestra, as there was, it was going to be mainly used for dancing.

What caught her focus most was a solidly built podium in the centre, probably for the start of the show that would begin shortly she surmised. _'I'm impressed. They certainly know how to plan for a do, whoever did this. A little forward of them, showing off their wealth like this though. A cocktail styled event, with everyone dressed up to flaunt themselves. Hmmm… certainly some more than others that I can see. Now let's see who we have on the menu tonight.' _They made their way into the hall, walking to one of the many windows on the side, taking note of the other guests as they walked on by. Shizuma stopped a passing waiter taking two glasses of red wine off his tray and passed one to Nagisa, who happily took it.

Time drew on with the faint note of music and talk in the air, as Shizuma gazed at her surroundings with fingers tapping a tuneful song on her champagne glass. Eventually only a few stragglers walked their way inside, mingling themselves effortlessly with the other guests. The doors closed with finality and everyone grew a sense of anticipation of what was to come. _'He certainly likes to put on a show. A grand entrance and a pretty speech, so overused.' _Glancing to her left to see what her hacker was up to, was surprised to find her not taking the least bit notice of anything. Her red eyes were focused on the chandelier then slowly moved around the rest of the ceiling with an occasional nod of her head. Shizuma was a little confused.

"What are you doing?" whispering softly

Nagisa gave her a quick glance and a shrug of her shoulders "Nothing but admiring the design. Though I must say that the chandelier looks like it has work done to it recently."

Shizuma's brows furrowed slightly as she tried to see what Nagisa meant. Looking up all she saw was a huge piece of lighting, nothing stood out about it. True she had seen more beautiful ones with less wiring holding it up and considering the rest of the hall looked a little out of place. Nagisa must have been watching her expression as her next words proved it.

"If you can't see anything wrong about it, that's all right you know. It just means whoever did it did a good job."

Before Shizuma could form a reply the lights in the hall dimmed, until all lights went out and the room plunged into darkness. Talk stopped and a few startled gasps penetrated the silence.

"Oh please!" Shizuma muttered under breath which was quickly followed with a short jab to her stomach. She knew when to shut up.

A spotlight illuminated the podium in a sudden burst of light. Also there was a smartly dressed man in a classic tux standing behind it as he absorbed all the attention. Kenzo Reede had made his appearance.

"Ladies and gentlemen I welcome and thank you all for coming here this evening. As all of you are aware, I have been absent from my field of technology advancement for quite some time, yet I have still kept my hand in bringing new projects to light. Tonight I hope to remedy that. Tonight we will all make history." Waving his hand at the podium a gasps of shock echoed the room as a holographic image appeared before them "Ladies and gentlemen may I present to you the future. Meet the MS-R42, the newest and most powerful mini manned submarine to date. It can go deeper and last much longer than the current models, equipped with state of the art technology. With my own adaptions as you can see it can be equipped with moveable limbs. Not only that the front can be detached from the main pod acting in a sense as an escape route if it indeed is in trouble. Ladies and gentlemen I give you the MS-R42." A loud applause followed his words as the lights came back on.

* * *

Everyone was all still in a dither from the announcement. Shizuma worked her way to the front to gather a closer look at the plans. The holographic image was impressive too she had to admit. The mini manned submarine was hinting at other aspects, but what she couldn't quite grasp. _'It all looks a little wrong somehow. I don't know what it can be. I wonder if we can analyse it better, I'll bet Nagisa will know a way. That girl has gadgets that do a ton of things.' _Shizuma was about to turn around to look for her partner, until a redhead came into view on her right. The girl tended to arrive unexpectedly. The etoile saw the intense gaze she gave the image, as she fiddled absentmindedly with her purse. Shizuma watched her from the corner of her eyes, trying not to draw attention to them. Nagisa opened her purse, as she shook her head slightly, as she pulled out her compact mirror.

"You look fine Nagisa" Shizuma politely told her, as she looked weirdly at her.

"Why thank you darling." Nagisa gave her a quick smile.

Nagisa quickly turned her focus back onto the mirror, she gazed at it for a while all the time Shizuma stood by her side quietly. With a snap, Nagisa closed her mirror and swiftly scurried away dodging the guests with ease. Shizuma froze for a moment when the redhead sped away, her exit was sudden and unexpected. Deciding it best to make a quick retreat herself, she hurried away to find her partner.

"Nagisa, would you mind explaining to me, what you were really doing by the podium." Shizuma asked her.

"Checking my makeup Shizuma, I need a mirror to do that you know" came the sassy reply back.

Shizuma took in a deep breath at her response, not really surprised at her reply. Tapping her wine glass to hopefully calm her down a little, she continued to stare at her partner, who was sipping her own wine with a small smile on her lips. Bending in closer to Nagisa, Shizuma put her lips real close to her ear.

"We both know what you were doing Nagisa" whispering in her ears.

Shizuma pulled back out but stayed rather close by her side. Nagisa had pinked cheeks Shizuma gladly noted as she waited patiently for an answer. Unfortunately her answer didn't come. Shizuma spotted an elderly gentleman making his way towards them, all dressed smartly in his tux, knowing that whatever he wanted to chat about would take a while. Shizuma inwardly threw a tantrum at the delay, remaining her cool demeanour on the outside.

"Ladies" the man bowed his head in greeting "I'm Marcus Ballas"

"It's nice to meet you Mr Ballas" Nagisa greeted him cheerfully "I'm Nagisa Hoshi and this is my partner Shizuma"

Shizuma bowed her head in response wearing a small smile, staying out of the conversation. Marcus seemed quite smitten with Nagisa so she left it up for her to do the small talk. It didn't stop her from keeping an ear and eye on the pair, in her past experiences some of the more touchy-feely kind came with the elderly. The conversation flowed smoothly with all things considering.

"Mr Ballas…" Nagisa began only to be cut up

"Please my dear girl, call me Marcus" he gave her a warm smile.

"If you insist Marcus" Nagisa blushed a little "Your profession is the mechanical engineering of boats like these am I correct?"

"Ah. A woman with an intellectual mind I see" grinning broadly.

Shizuma wanted to knock his block off with that comment. She didn't know whether it was a sexist comment or a joke, but it annoyed her all the same.

"I am indeed. I was quite impressed with the display earlier on. I would love to see the blueprints of the vessel, but sadly it would not be possible." Looking a little glum.

"I'm guessing there is a market for something like this then." Nagisa asked

"More than you think, mainly for the academic world however. Yet saying that, the military are always on the lookout for new vessels." Marcus sipped his champagne giving Nagisa a searching stare "You are a rare find, most women I've met tend to avoid the talks of this nature, it's certainly quite refreshing."

Shizuma clenched her glass tight. He was certainly asking for it by her book. Mostly she was angry with Nagisa, who looked quite comfortable and confident in the discussion and let the remarks slide. The etoile worked to maintain her calm exterior, especially when a certain hacker decided to become friendly. With herself not him. An arm snaked its way around her waist resting on her left hip, a warm body gently pressed to her side as Shizuma glanced down quickly to find Nagisa wearing a fake smile. It made her wonder what she was planning on, when she saw a flicker of shock go through their acquaintances eyes. _'Well at least he knows she's taken…what am I saying?! More to the point what is she up to?' _

"Depends on your tastes I suppose Marcus, it has never been a past time of mine to discuss fashion and whatnot. I hope you don't mind us discussing the mini sub." Nagisa told him

"Not at all certainly." With a broad smile

Shizuma pulled herself into the conversation a little jumpily since she felt Nagisa slowly draw her arm back around. Very slowly in fact and she felt every move Nagisa made against her thin dress.

"Perhaps you could help us to clear something that has puzzled us then." Shizuma began "The sub itself is designed a lot differently than he mentioned. Certain parts don't click together if you know what I mean."

"Shizuma is right. Maybe you can clear up our misunderstanding by showing us?" nodding her redhead towards the holographic image.

Marcus Ballas bowed his head with a gesture for them to proceed, following into step beside the silver haired. Slowly they made their way to the front of the podium; the crowd was dispersing leaving them with room to talk freely and to breathe. The three of them surrounded the podium with Ballas to the left hand side and the two next to him.

"It's certainly an interesting design. A slim line aerodynamic approach." Nagisa observed aloud

Marcus nodded his head in approval. Shizuma on the other hand was wondering if she was going to understand anything about the conversation to follow. Her head drooped slightly in defeat as she was proved right when they started talking above her head. So maintaining her cool image the etoile studied the holo image before her, trying to put puzzle pieces together. _'Certainly a weird approach on the design side. Like a dolphin. I'm guessing the catches on the side…'_ Interrupted out her thoughts by a hand resting on her arm, looking to the culprit to see Nagisa with a confused look.

"Sorry Shizuma did I interrupt you?"

"No. I was studying the design. Did I miss much?" Shizuma asked

"No darling, not at all. I guess all our tech talk bored you a little. Shall we move on to the design specs now Marcus?" Nagisa looked to their guest

"Of course. More interesting anyways"

"The catches at the front and lower back, there for the limbs he mentioned right?" Shizuma asked

"I believe so. The outlining dent surrounding the front part is for the ejection departure. The tubes on either side…hmm…my professional guess…some sort of a ballast." Looking a little confused at his own analysis.

The two agents shared a secret glance. If the professional was having trouble at identifying some of the sub, good guess that it was something else entirely.

"Shame there isn't an inside view" Shizuma muttered

The three of them discussed the mini-sub a little more, until Ballas brought up a subject that caught their full attention.

"It sure is strange that Mr Reede has delved into this department. Usually he's line is more on the designing and programming aspects." Putting one hand on his hip and one under his chin in contemplation "even more so that he has got Japanese help considering on how he left."

"I haven't heard that" Shizuma said with a searching look

"Really? I thought it was common knowledge in the community." Sounding a little uneasy under her stare

"Well enlighten us. Our host is something of a mystery." The etoile took a sip of her wine in all appearances confident

"All I will say that there was a very heated debate between him and some higher ups about…some conduits"

"Thank you for assistance Mr Ballas. Cleared our questions up all right." Nagisa butted in "maybe we will talk again later in the evening. It seems some others wish your company" nodding her head in the direction

The two women bid their leave and Marcus Ballas left to talk with the interested party. It was clear to Shizuma that Nagisa spoke up with a reason, to defer the topic of her question in her opinion.

"What was that with Ballas?" Shizuma whispered as they made their way slowly to the side of the hall.

Nagisa shook her head slightly, with a warning hint in her red eyes. Shizuma looked confused for a little while but waited patiently for the answer she knew she would receive. The soft strings of a violin were heard amongst the chatter of the crowd, a few dancers occupied the floor twirling slowly around. Shizuma kept her eyes peeled around her for anything she could use; her focus was broken when a wine glass was passed to her by Nagisa who looked quite relieved. At what Shizuma was about to find out.

"Sorry about that earlier, with me being…" unsure of what to say, Nagisa fumbled and blushed a little.

Shizuma looked quite amused at the sight deciding to help her out a little "It certainly was a little shock, usually it's me who is being… shall we say intimate?" smirking a little

"Moving on" Nagisa admitted her defeat "The reason why I didn't want to discuss anything more until now, is because my scrambler, of sorts, has just kicked in."

"What scrambler?" Shizuma lowered her voice even further when she heard this

"Take a look at your belt Shizuma"

Shizuma did what was asked of her, getting curious and intrigued. Her belt was certainly different than when she put it on. It used to have two linked circles with fancy wiring interwoven between them. Now she only saw the one silver circle minus the other and the wiring. Breaking her observation away from her belt, to reflect more on how her partner had done the whole thing without drawing suspicion. Especially from herself, since she had felt nothing or seen anything out of the ordinary. The etoile heard soft giggles from her right, the sound she had barely heard once before. Looking over to Nagisa, whose eyes were twinkling merrily and smile graced her lips. Shizuma raised her brow whilst she took a sip of wine.

"Oh don't give me that look. Your face was a rare treat; it's not every day I get to put something past you."

"I'll say this Nagisa; pickpocketing is a skill you've gotten down pat. I'm also suspicious of your makeup kit too."

"Well I was just as curious as you when I saw it up close, not to worry we have it on memory now." Taking care with her words as a couple swept by them.

Shizuma nodded her head in more admiration than acceptance.

* * *

They were standing by the buffet table, Shizuma discreetly watching the guests whilst Nagisa devoured her second helping of a cake with a generous amount of chocolate sauce. The etoile admitted it was a bad idea for them to remain there any longer; the cakes were in grim jeopardy. When the sweet lover had finished, Shizuma steered her away, arms linked they flitted past the guests to rest by one of the many windows surrounding the hall. As Shizuma took a sip of wine, her eyes found a familiar sight. An androgynous person, dressed in dark clothing, was standing at the right hand side of their target. Discreetly watching, Shizuma noticed that the person constantly stayed at his side taking only water. Their face was hidden, giving her no clues on thoughts or gender. Shizuma needed to know. Nagisa was taking two glasses from a waiter, was startled when Shizuma stepped in taking them both off her, putting them on the ledge. Gracefully Shizuma took one of Nagisa's hands into her own.

"Care to dance?" she asked softly as she led the way to the floor.

Shizuma could feel Nagisa shaking a little, making her wonder if her partner could dance at all. A soft waltz from the band brought a few more couples to the floor, as the two agents began their own dance. They moved in sync, steps flowing together, hearts beating as one with eyes locked on to each other's. It was beautiful. Watchers among the guests marvelled at their dance, certainly drawing attention. Loath as she was to do it, Shizuma was enjoying herself and so was her partner; there was work to be done however.

Barely moving her lips she asked "Nagisa to the right of the Archive, do you know who that is?"

Nagisa took a quick peek then looked to Shizuma, deep in thought "Familiar is all I know. Melinda's guest and they often came to the manor when I was working there."

"They were there the night of the auction too. Connected to all of it I'm sure"

"I'll check with the hotels security cameras tonight, see if I can put a name to our elusive friend"

Nodding her head in agreement, Shizuma frowned a little when the music played its last notes.

* * *

**AN: Thanks once again for all of your reviews :) Glad your liking the story. I hope this chapter wasnt such a downer, it didnt come out really the way i wanted to. Anywayz happy reading :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

The party had gone well. They had mingled, drank wine, chatted to numerous others, drank wine, contacts were made, drank more wine, danced, switched to champagne, got in some good information on the Archive and drank a bit more. All in all they had fun, tomorrow would certainly make their hours of mingling one to regret. They had indulged a tad too much in the wine, Nagisa more so than Shizuma. The etoile wondered if the woozy agent had spent any time socialising in her other missions, granted she had a knack with people, getting them to talk. However with the finer nuances she seemed to lack in abundance. It was all pushed firmly to the side at the moment, as she was holding on tight to the staggering girl.

Nagisa could not hold her drink well, with all the swaying she did when walking not to mention the drunken ramble she mouthed off. A mess! Shizuma kept a strong arm around the red heads waist as she tried to open their shared room. Thankfully Nagisa was docile enough to be led, as she was deposited on the bed, whilst the etoile herself got her nightclothes to change into. It only took her a few minutes to change into her silk white negligee, in the bathroom as they agreed; Shizuma came out to be greeted with a surprise. Depending on your taste. Wide eyes were lustfully staring at what was happening before her.

Nagisa in her drunken world was clothed only in her black lace underwear, as the final part of her dress slid to the floor. To the drooling etoile she looked beautiful, wanting more than anything at that moment to touch, caress and taste the sight before her. Shizuma fought a losing battle with her rising urges, as she saw Nagisa reach for her bra clasp, knowing she couldn't control herself for what was to come. Storming back into the bathroom, she closed the door quickly and quietly leaning her back heavily against it. After a moment or two, she lifted herself off the door towards the sink, turning the cold tap on full. Thoroughly soaking her face with the cool water did nothing, to get the images out of her mind.

Shizuma looked into her reflection trying to put some order in her jumbled mind. _'I know I'm attracted to her. It happens to me often; I pick a girl, have some fun with them and leave us both with some good memories. So why is this one so different? Why do I try so hard to gain her smile and to hear her sweet laugh? It's probably just the booze doing this to me. A good night's rest should clear my head fine.' _Shizuma dried her face and was ready to get some shut eye. Nagisa had fallen fast asleep, all covered and snuggled in her bed, as Shizuma came out of the room. When her head hit the pillow her dreams were anything but peaceful. The night seemed to want her to keep on surprising her.

It must have been early morning, since it was still dark outside as Shizuma jolted awake. The cause was an intruder in her bed. The culprit was the drunken red head. Shizuma's eyes watched in wonder as Nagisa, obviously still very much asleep, got under her covers pressing her back against Shizuma's own. There was nowhere for the woman to run, her mind buzzed her with different scenarios, each getting more and more ravishing. Shizuma half wondered if the young woman was doing this to her on purpose, but one look at the sleeping face by her, knew that was untrue. Shizuma turned on to her side to face Nagisa, gently since she didn't want to wake her, continuing to watch peacefully the sleeping woman. It was a good thing too that Nagisa was wearing her oversized bed t-shirt, the trouble she would have caused further. Shizuma once more got comfortable, still facing the intruder, as she positioned herself closer, enough to feel the warmth of the other. Letting Morpheus take her easily away.

A loud short scream and something hitting the floor woke Shizuma from her pleasant dreams. Her sleep filled eyes looked towards the edge of the bed, where most of the top sheets were tangled, crawling over to peer over she saw a heavily blushing redhead looking awake confused and in some amount of pain since she was holding her head in support.

Stealing a glance at her clock it read 8:23 "It's far too damn early to be awake just yet" she complained as she lay back on her bed, trying to get back to sleep.

"What the hell am I doing in your bed?!" Nagisa groaned loud sitting up carefully

"You tell me. You came into my bed last night" turning her gaze to the gobsmacked woman "Care to share those thoughts?"

Nagisa just gave her a glare, as best as her pounding head could give, making her way steadily to her feet.

"No. I don't think I will." She was about to say something else, before she shook her head ever so slightly, making her way to the bathroom.

Shizuma watched her go, as she realised a part of her wanted to know what she would have said, even if it was another dismissive sentence. _'Nothing is ever really simple with that girl. I wonder what it is about me, which she dislikes so much.' _Shizuma closed her eyes trying to get back to sleep, only to be jolted awake yet again by the redhead. Shizuma saw that Nagisa was now fully dressed and seemed to be over her hangover, ignoring her as she went about her routine. Shizuma decided that any more sleep was not going to come so decided to join the land of the living, getting up and dressed to brave a new day. The etoile had just finished putting her clothes in order, from the corner of her eyes she saw Nagisa astutely ignoring her as she keyed in a few words on her laptop then left to go stand on the balcony in the warm sunny rays. Shizuma didn't know what she had done wrong, everything she seemed to do only irritate the woman. _'It's about time I found out. Better now than later.'_

"What is it about me you dislike so much?" Shizuma got straight to the point.

Nagisa turned to face her, as she tore her eyes away from the scenery to rest upon her partner. Turning fully around she leant back onto the balcony railing, crossing her arms and her face showing a set expression. Shizuma continued to stare at her, her hands clenched tightly to her sides. The room became thick with tension, both women knowing that the conversation to follow wouldn't be a pleasant one. Nagisa was the one to break the ice. Heaving a sigh she shook her head slightly.

"I don't dislike you Shizuma. Far from it. You're probably very nice underneath your false faces and attitude. Just don't expect me to be like every other conquest of yours."

"What do you mean false…"

"Oh please stop lying about it" Nagisa cut her off "You know exactly what I mean. Don't try and tell me you've always been like this. I know for a fact you haven't."

Shizuma was getting edgy, this conversation sounded very familiar. It was about to get a lot worse as her temper grew and flared dangerously.

"You don't know anything about me" Shizuma scathingly replied

"You're right I don't. But tell me honestly, why do you keep pretending that you're ok with all this?" gesturing towards Shizuma

Getting angrier Shizuma retorted "Who says I'm pretending? More to the point why should I share it with you?"

"Maybe because I care. We are supposed to be working as partners during this mission…" Nagisa explained

"Oh now were partners. Who's been giving me the cold shoulder all this time?" Shizuma breathed heavily

"How was I supposed to be? You kept pushing so strongly it's the only way I know to react. So sorry if I wasn't like all the others" Nagisa told her placing one hand on the railing

"Oh please flirting with you was just a way to keep me occupied, as for a partner I think I could have found a better replacement in the short time to suit you."

"Oh right. This is coming from the woman who can't keep a partner for more than a mission." Nagisa sarcastically accused her "experiencing it myself I understand why. Men are intimidated and the women well, you love em and leave them."

Shizuma nearly lost it completely when Nagisa said that. Her whole body shook with anger, her mind was clouded by it too as her words spilled out so fast she barely knew what she said.

"My sex life is my personal business. No one has ever complained about my skills. Furthermore what would a naïve girl know about me? I bet you have never experienced a real partner at all in _any_ way. You could easily get them killed with how little you seem to know." Shizuma barrelled out

Nagisa stood still with one hand clenching at the railing in a vice grip, so hard was it that her knuckles were white. Her red eyes were teary but she refused to let them fall. Shizuma slowly cleared her mind, realising what she said and seeing the hurt locked away in Nagisa's eyes, knowing no way in which to apologise.

"You're right I am naïve. I guess I have a bad habit of trying to see the good in people I meet. Boy was I wrong about you. You are everything the rumours say you are." Nagisa breathed heavily now as her tears were freely falling from her eyes.

Nagisa slowly moved from the balcony to step indoors, giving a wide berth to Shizuma as she stepped on past. Shizuma made no move in doing so. She watched as Nagisa walked swiftly by, putting things together in a bag before heading towards the door. A thought of panic briefly washed over her, as she spun around to face her partner.

"Where on earth are you going?" Shizuma quickly demanded, inwardly flinching at the harsh tone.

Nagisa with her hand on the door handle didn't turn to face her. Her back was rigid at the tone that Shizuma used and her voice was toneless as she spoke her reply.

"Why should you care? Besides I get my partners killed as you so lovingly pointed out."

Nagisa was about to say something else before she abruptly flung the door open hard, hitting the wall with a loud thud and walked quickly out. Shizuma hung her head, it all happened so quickly. Words flung fast and hard and her tongue worked faster than her mind. Slowly she walked over to the door, closing it with a soft click. _'Damn! I'm such an idiot. Why did I say that? Curse my quick temper.'_

* * *

Shizuma was a bundle of nerves when she answered her phone, her mind not giving up anything useful in which she could use. There was no putting it off either, her report had to be given and the fact her mislaid partner was absent, was something she had to work around. It had been fully a day since their argument and she had walked out of there room. Looking at her phone she hit the answer button, still wondering if she had a job after all this was through.

"Etoile" the cool voice answered sharply "Can you tell me why I reached one of you and not the other?"

Shizuma bit the inside of her cheek to stop any retort from spewing out. Her mind worked quickly in coming up with an answer.

"Different avenues of different thoughts. She's pursuing one angle I'm another." Which in her mind was true just didn't really go into any detail.

There was silence a little on the other end of the line, which as unusual for Miyuki since she always cut right to the chase. Shizuma picked up grumblings on the other end but no distinct words, her lie she quickly figured out, didn't sail.

"I'll let it slide for now, but it's not helping your cover or the mission for it to remain like this." A deep breath was heard taking in before her voice came back on "What have you been working on, we received the plans from Nagisa earlier and that was all until we lost signal."

Shizuma eyes grew wide when she heard the last part, as she tried to force her logical mind back on track.

"Nagisa was going to work on face recognition on the people attending the party the other night, especially on a figure seen both at Melinda's manor and the right hand of our host that night. I'm checking up on angles in town, he's quite a popular figure."

Shizuma and Miyuki talked a bit more and when the call ended the etoile decided to do a bit of snooping around the small town. Talking to the locals and even some holiday makers, she gleaned very little. This wasn't so surprising at all considering who she was following. Any new information she got was that there was some workers were seen at the harbour way in the early hours of the morning. _'What a waste of day. Nothing helpful at all.'_

* * *

Shizuma switched the TV on as she came out of the shower; it was late evening now and it had been two full days without her partner by her side. It was funny how quick you adjust to new people. Shizuma was drying her hair, when she heard her phone ring. The tone was ringing and Shizuma was in a state trying to find it, after chucking it away after M's phone call, she never thought of finding it afterwards just in case. Lifting clothing off the floor she found her undamaged phone still calling out as she quickly hit the accept button without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello Shizuma here." Shizuma answered a little breathlessly

"Turn onto the news etoile" a familiar voice told her tonelessly

Shizuma was startled at hearing Nagisa's voice, nonetheless did as she was told knowing it must have been urgent to call her. Keeping her phone by her ear she switched the channel over and nearly dropped the phone in shock.

"_Breaking news just comes in. Earlier today the Greek government has announced an official lockdown of all ports and airlines in and out of the country and isles. The military have been drafted in to help local police in keeping peace in surrounding areas during this time. No official statement has been given at this time…."_ The newsreader has been given new information from off-screen; looking a little startled himself at what he has just read. _"My apology for just now new information has just come in. News of secure information held by the government in an intense secure mainframe holding, all the government intelligence has been hacked into. Sources within the top establishment reveal that they have no current leads. So until further notice the lockdown will stay in effect. The hotline on the screen is for any information you may have. We will keep you fully informed on any new updates. In other news…" _

Shizuma clicked the TV off, slumping to her bed in disbelief at what she had just heard. The Trojan Horse had been activated and the information that The Archive had gained could be very deadly in his possession. Not to mention that the country is now acting like it's under some martial law. Shizuma pondered the fallout still clutching her phone near her ear; even then she failed to know her name being mentioned.

"Etoile! Are you there or not?" Nagisa growled down the phone

"I'm here. Do we know what information he recovered?" getting into her agent mode

"Yes. All military bases and naval boats currently on tour. The routes they take and other possible missions they might be sent on. Also he took what the government knew about foreign vessels out there and what little they know about routes they take." Nagisa listed for her.

"Why would he want to know about that?" Shizuma muttered aloud

"Who knows? I'd best be off" Nagisa drawled

"Wait a minute!" Shizuma nearly screamed down the phone to her missing partner "Now look, we have to work together on this. Forget personal issues we might have with each other, but this needs to be settled fast before he strikes again."

"And what does that have to do with me? You find the son of a bitch, deal with him and collect the data he stole. Don't need me around. Best do it fast too; he's working to a schedule." Nagisa outlined it for her.

"Look here. I will meet you by the café down in the harbour in an hour. You best be there and we'll discuss this." Shizuma growled to her before ending the call abruptly.

Shizuma let out a heavy sigh, as tossed her phone onto her pillow before slumping back onto the bed. Bad news all around. The only thing missing was a Miyuki scolding that would certainly round it off nicely. A familiar annoying ringtone rang through the quite room; Shizuma turned her head to glare at the device. _'Shit! I should know better by now. Be careful of what I wish for.' _Shizuma reached for her phone to risk a look at the caller ID, groaning aloud when she recognised it. Miyuki Rokujou knew just when to call.

"M nice of you to call" Shizuma faked a happy tone

"Cut the crap etoile." Miyuki briskly told her "The Trojan Horse has been tested as I think you have already figured out. It's making all governments twitchy at best."

"Yeah I saw the news just now. Who are they blaming?"

"No one is pointing fingers at anybody yet. I think they all know it's an outsider doing it. The information is too specific for an agent within to want to take note of."

"Look at you M, sounds like you want to come back on the field. I'll love the company." Shizuma teased her

"You have a partner Etoile; I hope it's all sorted out. I'll let you get on; I want regular updates on what you find out." A click ended the call.

"Hopefully it will be" Shizuma muttered to herself.

* * *

Shizuma was the first to arrive at the café, choosing a table that faced the sea she ordered ouzo for her nerves. The sweet aniseed taste filled her mouth as she kept her eyes peeled for a familiar redhead. The hour mark passed and Shizuma began to get impatient, tinged with a little worry. Her focus was mainly on the street along the café, the harbour walkway and the barely seen road just to the side and no sign of Nagisa. Her drink was half empty and a shadow fell on her, blocking out the last of the sun's rays.

"May I sit?" a tone asked her shyly

Shizuma whipped her head to the side to fall upon Nagisa; the woman had come without her noticing. Her attention drifted from the uncomfortable face to her attire. A white cotton top with a deep scarlet skirt that came just below her knees, making her look quite alluring in the dusk light. It certainly made Shizuma feel that way. Shizuma nodded her head to the seat opposite which Nagisa took quickly and quietly. A waiter took her order of juice, within a few minutes she was served, the entire time passed in silence. The lanterns came flickering on and local music came out the speakers.

"How did you know about the data he collected?" Shizuma cut to the chase, figuring it best to start with work

"That's not the issue" Nagisa took a sip of her drink "What you should be asking is why he decided to test it on that particular mainframe."

"You lost me there." Shizuma told her

"He could have hacked into any database in the entire world, why did he decide on that one? Hell, even I got in with a lot of luck so why did he need the Trojan Horse to do something a hacker can do given the time and equipment." Nagisa shrugged her shoulders glancing out to sea

Shizuma stared at the agent before her. She didn't know what to say to that confession, deciding it was best to move right along. It did give the etoile some pause however, if Nagisa could do it without the virus, why did he alert everyone to the fact that he had it. Taking a long sip of her drink she spoke up yet again.

"Is this something to do with what you've been working on?" Shizuma asked her roundly noting people sit close by

"Like you said to M, different avenues of thoughts." Nagisa answered the same way

"Spoken to her lately?" she asked lightly

"An hour or so ago" Nagisa shrugged her shoulders turning to look at the customers

Shizuma let it be silent for a while, knowing she had to start on the uncomfortable conversation soon enough. Folding her arms to warn off the chilly breeze, she set her eyes firmly on her partner, who continued to look around her surroundings. Not once did she glance her way, or was even uneasy being in her presence after their row. Huffing a little, Shizuma decided it was now or never, someone else had that in mind too.

"M says I need to apologise. The problem is I don't know why" Nagisa spoke softly

The woman was stunned when she heard this, that Miyuki had told her to apologise without knowing the full facts. It didn't sit right with her, true a friend sticks up for her own but with this Shizuma felt she needed to apologise more.

"Miyuki tends to get protective a little, we've known each other since Miator and even partnered together, before she followed the higher chain. There's no need to apologise…" Shizuma tried to explain

"Really? Nice to know. Why have you asked to see me?" Nagisa demanded nicely

Shizuma gave her a hard stare as she spoke firmly "Because whether you like it or not, we are partners and we were asked to solve this. I don't get a lot of the data mumbo jumbo and clearly you don't get sent on a lot of these missions either. So shall we just get this done and we don't have to see one another after this is through."

Nagisa shook her head at this, making the etoile wonder what she said wrong. Thinking back on what she said, finding nothing wrong waiting patiently for the woman to give her reply.

"Us working together? We'd kill each other before too long"

"Look Nagisa, I'm really sorry about that. My temper gets the best of me sometimes and before I know it I tend to speak before thinking."

"Don't apologise what you said was perfectly true anyway" gulping down the rest of her juice

Shizuma didn't know what to do. What could she say to that confession? Shizuma decided to let it go, promising herself to find out at a later date. A familiar irritating tune struck the silence making the two agents jump a little. Shizuma sighed as she fumbled in her trouser pocket for her phone that seemed intent on disrupting her for this mission.

"Shizuma" answered her phone quickly jerking the phone away when she realised who was on the other line "What can I do for you Tamao?"

"I'm calling about the plans Nagisa sent over to us, is she there?" hinting among other things

Shizuma looked over to Nagisa who like herself was looking startled at hearing who was on the phone. Handing her phone over, she resisted for a short while making sure Nagisa looked into her eyes, a request lingered in their which made Nagisa nod her head.

"Tamao why are you calling Shizuma to get to me?" not happy with the idea at all like her partner

Shizuma could only hear the one side of the call, which to be truthful wasn't very much since Tamao was the talker of the two in this conversation. Nagisa bobbed her head once in a while, even rolled her eyes at something. All in all it made her irritated. It wasn't until the end when Nagisa looked really uncomfortable, even going as far as to clench her fists so tight that she nearly drew blood. Shizuma knew from the beginning it was a sign that she was getting uncomfortable or irritated. Reaching over to sooth her, Nagisa drew her hand sharply away, not wanting any contact. Inwardly it hurt Shizuma but nothing showed, as she watched Nagisa end the call and pass over her phone. Taking it from her and putting it safely in her pocket, the etoile found the air around them thick with tension.

"What did Tamao want?" Shizuma asked her

"Plan talk is about all really, sending me the data on what she could gather" Nagisa told her quickly

"It was a long conversation just for that. Still keeping things from me, when it will make our jobs so much easier otherwise." Shaking her head

"I don't need to tell you our personal talk Miss Hanazono." Nagisa sharply told her rising from her seat "I think we've talked enough tonight, I'll keep in contact with you and send you what I found out. Have a good evening."

Shizuma fought down her temper as she watched Nagisa walk away from the café. The darkness did little to hide her from her sight; rising quickly depositing some money on the tables for her drinks she swiftly jogged after her. The agent quickly caught up with the red head down by the harbour.

"What is it that you want from me?" Nagisa shrilly asked of her

Shizuma got in front of the angry agent and made sure to stop her from going any further. The only lights now were from distant lamps, plus the occasional one dotted on the railing running alongside them. Shizuma saw the hurt on her face, even how uncomfortable she made her feel. The etoile didn't dare touch her only held up her hands to slow her down, which thankfully the redhead did, with arms crossed and head hung down low did she wait for the older woman to speak. Shizuma chose her words with care as she looked at her.

"Look Nagisa please hear me out." Waiting for her approval before continuing "I know you're angry with me, I don't really know why and I'll wait until you're ready, if you're ever to tell me why. I am sorry for saying all of that before, I truly am."

It was silent for a time, the sound of the tide gently lapping in the distant. Nagisa kept her head down for a long while, whilst Shizuma looked earnestly on. _'I just need to hear it from her. If we can just become …what the hell I need her on this mission. We can work on our relationship, what there is of one, along the way.' _

"Nagisa?"

"I'll get in touch with you tomorrow, just don't expect much from me" she softly told her as she hurried away

Shizuma let her go. It was a start and hopefully it will grow on that. Shizuma walked back to the hotel, dodging some party goers who were looking way too drunk.

* * *

Shizuma heard tapping as she slowly awakened to another warm day. As far as she knew, in her sleepy mind, it wasn't raining it was something else. Peeking above her sheets, the tapping paused for few seconds before resuming their speedy tempo. Yawning aloud she pushed down her cotton sheets, from her head and clumsily seated upright. Rubbing her eyes to try and rid the sleep from them. Sniffing the air she smelt coffee, fresh from what she could tell, which made her wary. She hadn't ordered any. Shizuma grew suspicious fumbling with her pillow to find her insurance.

The tapping came from the opposite bed, swinging sharply round, she aimed her gun at the intruder with the safety off. In a flash she lowered it, clicking on the safety without taking her eyes off the woman in front of her. Nagisa was sitting with her back against the wall tapping away at the laptop, looking undisturbed with being morning target practice. The etoile now knew where the noise came from not to mention the coffee, which was on the table ready to be served. No words came out, though a whole load flew around in her head. Nagisa's red eyes snapped to the speechless woman before resting back on the screen, a small smirk made itself known.

"I thought I was the anti-morning person in this room" Nagisa joked softly

Shizuma was wide awake now, as she looked over to her realising in a way that Nagisa was here to help without needing to say anything. Nor would the agent make her say the words, it was clear that they were now working together, with the past for now, would remain that way until it needed to be addressed. Shoving the sheets away from her, Shizuma pulled herself up on her bed to sit on the edge facing her returned partner. It was a good thing she put on her nightclothes the previous night.

"Why don't you serve the coffee while I go and get changed." looking to the time before getting up completely.

"No problem." Nagisa nodded to her still continuing with her tapping

"I hope you're not hacking into some secret site" she tried to joke

Nagisa looked at her fully then cocking her head to the side "Not this morning no" then carried on her key tapping.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Shizuma poured two cups of coffee handing one to Nagisa who took it gratefully after placing her laptop carefully by her side. Sitting on the edge of her partner's bed they sat in silence for a time. Until someone found the need to break it.

"I did as you asked" making Shizuma give her, her full attention "I got hold of the security footage from the night of the event and ran that individual you took an interest in, through the face recognition."

"What did you find out?" Shizuma asked

"Only that they have been in operation for two years. Known only as the Shadow. Nothing personal whatsoever in the file. Not even the sex. I even sent it to a few of my friends in other countries; they know as much as we do maybe the only addition is the places they've been have changed. Mainly their base being in Japan." Taking a sip of her coffee

"It seems these two fit well together. Nothing can be found out about them." Shizuma shook her head in disbelief "Anything else?"

"I sent the plans of that sub of Reede's back to Astraea. They'll let us know the moment they find something about it. Strange though it may seem Reede was working alongside Havershack back home."

"Seems we are going in circles"

"There's more Shizuma" Nagisa heaved her laptop back on her lap with Shizuma kindly holding her cup in safety "I found out something that might lead somewhere"

"Where did you find this out?" Shizuma asked holding her warm coffee in both hands.

"I just looked around; this building went up within days of the plans being stolen and closed just a day or so before the test on the government intelligence bureau." Nagisa showed her.

Shizuma read through the reports on the laptop, all of it detailed in showing the dummy corporation. One thing still bothered her about it.

"How do we know that this is linked with The Archive at all?"

Nagisa clicked her way on her laptop before showing the confused etoile her success. Somehow much to the agent's surprise, Nagisa had managed to find actual proof that it did indeed come back to their elusive target.

"I thought he might go with something linking with Troy and I was right. Now we have a building that needs checking out." Nagisa gave a sharp nod of her head.

* * *

"Is that the place?" Shizuma asked

The building looked like any other along the quiet street. The same style, size and make, nothing about made it stand out. The sign which adorned it was relatively simple, not as flashy as some she had seen. That's what made Shizuma pause.

"Yep. That's the place. Quite smart in disguising it that way. No one takes a second look even goes as far as to forget it. Which come to think about it, not a good idea if it was a proper business."

Moving swiftly towards the building, they took a quick glance at the front and inside, everything seemed empty and not a person was in sight. Shizuma decided to check out the perimeter before they went on in, telling Nagisa to stay put and keep an eye out and made her way to the back. Down the side of the building, in an alleyway hidden between the two buildings, making it dark and closed off from the main street, Shizuma spotted cameras carefully placed. Whether or not they worked she had no clue, so staying out of their range moving agilely and swiftly she moved on by. There was a back door as the etoile had hoped for; all electronically locked down with no access from any direction other than the alleyway she had come by. It was something at least. _'Well at least there's another exit. Hopefully it will go smoothly when we go in. Humph! Pigs fly!' _It didn't take long for the agent to make her way back to Nagisa, jogging to her partner's side.

"Anything?" Nagisa asked

"A few cameras in the alley, also there's a back door which is locked down tight. Apart from that nothing."

"Were the cameras working?"

"No clue" Shizuma shrugged her shoulders

Shizuma didn't miss the slump of the redheads figure or the little eye rolling. She was quickly learning to read the different signals coming from her temporary partner. It was sure coming in handy around about now.

"What?"

"Chikaru was right; you never do read the manual do you?"

"That monstrosity? Do you read it Nagisa?"

"I don't need to Shizuma. Especially the ones I've helped design" heaving a sigh "Your phone apps Shizuma, there is one on there that could have helped, if you had just fiddled around with it a bit."

The accusation as soft as it was delivered made Shizuma blush a little. Fumbling a bit with the phone in her pocket in indecision. Wondering if it was best to go back and make real sure about the cameras. Nagisa made her decision for her.

"Just remember it for the next time. If there's no power getting inside I doubt they are working. Let's get going shall we? I'll put up alarms in case people come and visit."

Unnoticed by the two agents as they made their way inside, both of them giving the area a good search, was something that would have put them on high alert. Near the door hidden somewhat amongst the netted curtain, was a flashing red light. Dim as it was, still would have been noticed. Alarms they may have placed to tell them of visitors, they certainly told others of theirs.

The two agents paused a little in the darkened entry way, Shizuma shuffled her way over to the wall trying the light switch. No light. Seeing a door with 'Store Cupboard' printed on, she walked over making a wait gesture to her partner. Inside was the usual shelving and mess. The small backup generator sitting at the back was waiting to be switched on. A few minutes later after a lot of cussing and fumbling with the switches the lights came on, only a few flickers in protest. Coming back into the lounge Shizuma saw her partner look around in approval as she stopped by her side.

"What took you so long?" Nagisa asked with a hint of a smirk

Seeing the hidden tease decided to fire one of her own "Miss me that much? I'm flattered"

Nagisa rolled her eyes at the remark "I give up"

"Suit yourself. Let's take a long around shall we?"

"Looks like we have to go to the next floor, this seems to be a reception area yet the work is done upstairs." Nagisa told her.

The two agents found the stairs behind a closed set of doors near the rear of the building, making their way upstairs into a long corridor with numerous doors along the way. Selecting the first one Shizuma entered first, making sure all was safe before Nagisa came on through. The room was full of desks with computers still sitting in their respective places. It was strange that the abandoned business had left all their supplies open and easy to get to.

"Why did they leave all this behind?" Shizuma looked around the room

Nagisa shook her head, then seated herself at a console powering up the computer. If any data was left on there the hacker would find it. Waiting for it to come on, Nagisa turned her attention to Shizuma.

"The Trojan Horse isn't like the normal computer viruses you get. It needs to be made again and again for each attack that it's sent on. It's partly why it's so dangerous. This place with all these computers doesn't fit the bill or the equipment in making it. But let's see what we can find here before moving on."

Shizuma looked to her partner, who was immersed at the screen, felt totally useless. Deciding to do something about it, she made a quick tour of the room logging in equipment she found, when that was done decided to check out the rest of the building. Just as soon as she left the room however, a loud cry of her name sent her scurrying back in. The look on the hackers face pointed to one thing. Nagisa had hit gold.

"You looked pleased Nagisa." Shizuma said as she bent over her shoulder to see the screen.

"I do don't I" smugly replying "Some idiot didn't erase everything on the hard drive. It left certain things behind. Lucky for us."

Clicking on an icon it pulled up a distorted picture of some kind, what Shizuma could make out was lines like a map, but unlike one she had seen before. Another image soon joined it, this time one of a familiar design, the mini sub from the party. Shizuma moved to Nagisa's side, pulling up a seat to sit comfortably whilst she looked on. Nagisa tried her best to clear the images up, with what little she had to work with, nothing helped.

"Is there anything else on here?" Shizuma pointed to the computer

"A lot of data, which for me doesn't make too much sense, without a proper context. My best guess is that it's either about the sub or the virus. Certain things about it suggest otherwise however. These are the only pictures, unclear as they are I could find."

"Save what we've got so far. I'm guessing you have the proper equipment back at the room to clear this up?" Nagisa nodded "Get to it then. Then we can check out the rest of this place and leave."

Nagisa fumbled in her backpack obviously looking for something specific, emptying it out as she went along. Shizuma looked amused as she did so, there was so much that the hacker had stuffed in there, some of it she rolled her eyes at. _'My god! It's like a Mary Poppins bag, everything can fit inside. Most of it she doesn't need. Come on there's loads of candy bars, a flask, wires and I have no clue on some of them. Just glad to say she put her gun holster on her belt. She's rather thorough though I have to admit. I'm glad I convinced her to stay, I have no clue what to do or how she found out these things' _Finally Nagisa found what she was looking for, a small black box. It didn't look too interesting, but to Nagisa she quickly connected it to the computer and was off clicking away. There wasn't much else to see as they walked around the other rooms, much the same in each.

As they made their way back towards the front of the store much to both of their disappointment, Shizuma saw a doorway they hadn't been through. A sign which hung above 'Authorised Personnel Only' made it all the more intriguing. Pointing it out to her partner they strolled over and went on through, only to find a stairway leading down with small wall lights lighting the way.

"Why am I not surprized that there is something like this here" Nagisa grumbled

"He's a show off, I wonder what we'll find" Shizuma started her way down

Down the metal stairway they went when they reached a door that resembled something out of a futuristic setting. The door was metal facing with no handle to open it only a card scanner to the side was all in sight. Huffing in disbelief Nagisa was about to step forward fingering her shoulder straps, when a hand held onto hers.

"I have an easier way" as Shizuma held up a card she had pilfered earlier

"After you then." Nagisa waved her on

Shizuma slid the card down the scanner, the red light turned green and the door whooshed open.

"Wow!" Shizuma gasped as the door finally slid open.

The room revealed itself to be something come off a sci-fi movie. It was filled with different gadgets of various sizes, a paradise for tech whizzes everywhere, judging by Nagisa's face she thought so too. The hacker took one step in and paused, then as if a green light went off dashed to the nearest console looking ecstatic. Shizuma watched her for a while, taking in her childish delight which was in contrast to how she was acting a few days ago. It was time for the etoile to jump in and help too; thankfully she saw something she could help with.

Towards the back of the room, sectioned off from the rest, was a small room covered with screens on the wall. A security place, the whole building was constantly being watched from here. The only thing was to find something she could use. Sitting down on the chair available, she looked to the console switched it on and began to navigate her way through the system. It was easy going; everything was filed in order and the console easy to use. What gave her pause was that this was easy to get into; no one had bothered to erase this making it more confusing to the agent not to mention more questions rather than answers. Time moved on, with both agents working on their tasks.

Shizuma kept an eye on Nagisa from the room, each time seeing her at a different machine doing what she was good at. It seemed to be going alright. Clicking on yet another entry, symbolising another day of the working day inside the building, Shizuma found something which she hoped would lead them somewhere. Bringing the image up closer on one screen she highlighted the features of one man, whilst on the other she found the same one again. He was practically in all of them, mostly around some of the lesser worker force than the security or scientist people. Thankfully there was some symbol on their jackets to help them out.

_'__Well I found something, what I have no idea as yet. If I can save this image Nagisa can run it by the face database she keeps. That will tell us who it is.' _About to turn around to look for her partner, a hand landed on her shoulder with an arm moving forward to the console made her jump in shock. The redhead certainly had a flair for making an entrance. A muffled chuckle erupted from beside her, when Shizuma turned her head to see she knew at a glance that it was a lost cause to play it off.

"Sorry about that." Nagisa apologised looking not a bit sorry

"Did you have to do that?" looking straight at her noticing the sheepish expression "you do don't you. Anyway what have you found out?"

"Nothing concrete, this place was definitely where they made the first Virus, the machines here prove that. However some equipment does seem to be missing. Apart from that nothing much. You?"

"Only this" pointing to the screen "This man appears nearly every day, mixing in among the workers. They haul stuff and do grunt work mostly, but he must know the goings on to be this close. Was about to get your useful skills in running him through your face search."

"I'd love to" smiling brightly.

Once more she fiddled in her bag to remove yet another gadget of hers, quickly connecting it together and clicking her away. A flicker passed on her face which Shizuma saw, her focus then moved on to how her partner seemed to tap away more quickly than before. The etoile was given a tap on the shoulder, bringing her full attention back on the hacker.

"Did you press the record button by accident or bring the cameras back online?" Nagisa asked curiously

"No. I only dived into the memory bank. Why?"

"Well it must be a default of it to begin automatically if the console is used, because it's recording and storing the data as we speak." Nagisa clicked onto a different setting showing the minute by minute of real time footage.

Both of them were looking at to what they hoped couldn't be happening. Four armed men made their way in the door stealthily, each holding on to a gun. An unwelcome party had arrived. Shizuma watched them for a second longer, before she started to prepare herself. Jumping from her chair, making Nagisa flinch in surprise, checked her gun making sure the safety was off and ready loaded then looked to her partner. Happily observing her doing the same thing, with the extra addition of putting her gadgets safely away and raring to go.

"Well looks like we overstayed our welcome. All set?" Shizuma asked briskly.

"Yup! Front or back?"

"The back should do it. Stay behind me" Shizuma ordered

They sprinted for the staircase taking two steps at a time as they made their way upwards. Reaching the door Shizuma flung it open making a large thud as it hit the wall, not caring for stealth. Down the corridor the two ran, turning sharply for the corner two shots fired out. Ducking back around the corner Shizuma and Nagisa braced themselves holding their guns in their hands. A gasp from the red head made Shizuma turn to her in a flash, watching as she holstered her weapon and rummage through her bag. Shizuma didn't waste time in watching her partner, it had gone eerily quiet. Treads of two she counted were making their way down the corridor, if she was to peek to see she was surely going to be hit with the close range.

A hand on her arm was pulling her back and a body shuffling forward to swap places. About to protest at the change the etoile was given a glare. It was safe to say she didn't protest any further. She watched in tense suspense as Nagisa fiddled with a contraption that she couldn't quite see. Suddenly something was pressed into her hand, looking at them she got an idea of what was to come. Putting in the earplugs she waited and watched gripping her gun tighter in readiness. A hint of a muzzle and in a second Nagisa switched the gadget on. A loud shrill painfully struck their ears, even with the earplugs it made Shizuma wince in discomfort. Shouts and moans from the two men as they dropped their weapons, trying to stop the sound reaching their ears. Shizuma pounced.

Landing a hard blow against one knocking him to the floor starting for the other one, watching as Nagisa finished him off with a sharp kick to the head. Shizuma grabbed the man kneeing him in the stomach and then bashed his head into the nearest bit of wall, letting him fall to floor out cold. Then silence. Beautiful silence was heard in the corridor as Nagisa had wasted no time in turning off the shrill whistle. Removing her earplugs Shizuma shot Nagisa a questioning look as the programmer was removing their weapons.

"What?" Nagisa asked as she checked her backpack

"You're full of surprises aren't you?" Shizuma told her with a little smile

"Shall we?" nodding her head down the corridor

The elder nodded her head as they both set off once more heading towards the back door. Twists and turns and long stretches of corridors with no signs of the other two. It was too easy for the etoile. As they had found out earlier the backdoor was sealed tight, Nagisa went to work and Shizuma stood guard. A loud beep later and a bit of fumbling with the locks and the door were open. Grabbing Nagisa by her shoulder as she was about to step outside, Shizuma pulled her backwards.

"Behind me" Shizuma whispered

Carefully she pushed the door letting it slowly swing open, taking small steps cautiously she made her way outside. There wasn't a person near the door ways, so creeping their way along the two agents stopped at the alleys point hearing a low grumble of two men. Listening to them Shizuma quickly deduced that they were trying to locate their two team members, having no such luck.

Bending her head a little lower so that they couldn't over hear Shizuma asked Nagisa "Anything helpful in your bag of tricks that could help us?"

"Firecrackers?" Nagisa supplied as once more took off her backpack to dive into its depth

"That will do" Shizuma agreed turning back round to spy

Nagisa took out a globe which Shizuma raised an eyebrow at. _'She did mention Firecrackers right?'_ Shuffling a bit to make way Nagisa popped her head around the corner coming quickly back in, lit a small wick which sparkled and hissed and wasting no time rolled the globe towards their prey. One guard looked down in confusion when he saw it, bending in closer for a better look. The other turned just as it went off. Loud bangs erupted making the bent man flinch in pain hunched over as he tried to back away, the other took a few steps back in shock. It was all the two needed. Flinging their way forwards they each took one making sure they were out cold and unarmed, landing heavy blows and kicks to ensure it. What they didn't encounter on was the former men coming in for a rematch. Once more they each went in, one on one in a final round.

A loud bark of a gun made Nagisa turn in fear and caution. Her target was already taken care of, as he lay in a painful grimace on the floor. Her eyes found the shooter quickly; he was still for a second longer before training his sights on her. His gun fired once more, hitting nothing but air and brick wall. Nagisa finally pulled out her own gun, which she barely used and clicked the safety off. Steady arms held the gun as Nagisa sighted her target and pulled the trigger twice. Each shot landed true. All of it happened as if in slow motion to the young agent, however truly only lasting but a few seconds.

Her mind finally caught up with her, realising that it was only a matter of time before the authorities would show themselves. One thing was bothering her; the silver temptress hadn't shown her face or talked her obvious remarks. Nagisa's heart beat faster and her breath came in shorter spurts as she quickly scanned the little battle zone, her red eyes filled with terror as they found what they sought. Running quickly over, Nagisa dropped to her knees beside the still woman, carefully and quickly turning her over. All the while unchecked tears started to form.

"Shizuma…Shizuma…please wake up…you're scaring me"

Shizuma heard her name; her muddled mind registered that much, in amidst the pain in her chest. In an unfocused daze she tried to focus more on the voice, the sweet scared tone, made her work a little faster to clear away the fog. _'She sounds so scared. Is that rain?' _Shizuma opened her heavy lidded eyes, still feeling a little sore when she breathed in. Her yellow eyes met with red teary ones, seeing her expression change from scared to relief and try as Nagisa might calm, but failing miserably. A small smile tugged at the etoile's lips, given the care she had just received; the redhead must not dislike her all that much.

"What happened? Oww" Shizuma moaned, trying to get into a seated position.

Nagisa helped her up, keeping a steadying hand on her back just in case. "You were shot and went down. Thankfully your vest stopped the bullet, but badly bruised your upper side; it's why you're probably having a little trouble breathing."

Shizuma let her eyes drift down to her chest, her shirt was unbuttoned and the bulletproof vest easy to see. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Nagisa's cheeks tint pink.

"Thank you" she said gratefully

The computer whiz looked a little shocked at the sincerity behind those words; she was certainly expecting her flirts. Nodding her head to accept the thanks, Nagisa stood from her crouched position offering the bruised agent a hand up. Shizuma looked to the hand then to the face of the woman, taking the offered hand with a smile. With a lot of grunts and a few tumbles, Shizuma finally made it to her feet. With her left arm around the shoulders of Nagisa, bringing them close together.

"How do you feel?" Nagisa asked concerned looking at the paler woman beside her

"I'll be fine when we get out of here." Shizuma told her moving towards the street

* * *

**AN: Hi readers! :) Sorry for the wait been a bit hectic lately. So i hope you enjoy it Happy reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Hi! Sorry for not updating sooner. Things have been a bit hectic with normal stuff. Writing this story with my MF3 is so not doing me any favours but hopefully i will try and update sooner :) Well thanks for your reviews and for those who are just reading by :)**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

Shizuma winced as she tried to lift and steady her right arm, the bullet impact on her upper chest made it hard for her to move it with any speed. She was seated on the bath's rim, having just soaked in the tub for a good hour, looking at the damage she had sustained earlier. She was no newbie to getting hurt; her body had a few scars here and there. Most of what happened was a blur, recalling the fight, the pain and waking up to Nagisa looming overhead. _'She looked so scared. Too scared, as if she's been in that situation before and it turned out badly .I guess that mission of hers still haunts her. It could have been a lot worse; the bruise will go down in a few days.' _A knock on the bathroom door interrupted her musings, as she turned towards the door.

"You ok in there? You've been in there an awful long time." Nagisa called to her

"I'm fine. I'm just having a little trouble with the bandage"

"Need any help?" an embarrassed voice asked of her.

It was silent for a little while, as Shizuma thought over the innocent request. Innocent for Nagisa, but other more devilish ideas for the etoile. Shizuma pictured the young agent with ease, knowing she would have deep flushed cheeks and seriously re-debating the offer. Before she could answer, a resigned Nagisa spoke.

"You're unclothed aren't you?"

"I have just been bathing Nagisa; I can't very well dress myself with any ease, my right side is far too sore to move around much." Exaggerating her injury just a little. Shizuma really wanted to show herself off, not to mention she honestly had trouble moving.

"I have no problem with helping you, only if it didn't come with the flirts and teases you enjoy so much. No funny business either"

"I'll behave" Shizuma silently giggled to herself

The door slowly swung inwards, letting in some cold air which made the warm damp etoile shiver in protest. Nagisa quickly entered, shutting the door behind her, saving the little warmth left in the room. Nagisa was blushing heavily, moving jerkily giving off an air of shyness and embarrassment. Etoile enjoyed her view, since all the girl was wearing were shorts and a tight fitting t-shirt. Nagisa barely looked at the unclad woman, trying not to give her any ammunition for the future, as she took the bandage from Shizuma's outstretched palm ready to tend to her wound and help her dress. True to her word, Shizuma didn't flirt or make any moves, which were extremely difficult for her, as gentle fingers caressed her skin applying the bandage around her chest. It was nothing but torture for her. So was the silence.

"Can I ask you something Nagisa?" a nod gave her permission "Why was you so scared when I got shot?"

Nagisa's hand stilled on her left side, at the question. Shizuma turned her head, to see Nagisa in some discomfort at what was asked as she quickly finished tying off the bandage. She brought her right hand over to stroke the redhead's cheek, moving towards her chin to bring red eyes to meet her own.

"What makes you say that?" Nagisa tried to deflect the question, tugging her gaze away from the searching eyes of the woman.

"Because I care." Shizuma told her

Red eyes met yellow ones as the former looked in some form of anguish at the answer. Rising unsteadily to her feet, dodging the caring hand that was held out, she hid her face amongst her red tresses. Shizuma heard her laboured breathing, wondering if she went a little too far. _'Did I go over the line? I couldn't help it; I just don't like seeing her like that. I really do care in this ice heart of mine.' _

"You're all bandaged up now. I'll leave you to get changed."

With that the young woman quickly left the bathroom, shutting the door gently behind her and leaving a determined agent gazing after her.

Shizuma came out of the bathroom, wearing baggy joggers and a loose top, something that was easy to get on and off. Her eyes quickly set on Nagisa. The said girl was sitting in the middle of her bed, knees drawn in tight and arms wrapped around her bended legs. But what caught her gaze most was her pain filled face. Shizuma quietly walked over, gently positioning herself next to her. No one said anything, Shizuma waited patiently for her to begin giving her time to put her thoughts together. She had a clue as to why she was so freaked earlier, but not the reasons behind it all.

"It was nearly a year ago when it happened. I was stationed at a military outpost, under cover and highly classified. We had reports that there was a major security breach, someone was sending out classified information. I was partnered with Yumiko Kondo; I've worked with her before and we were close friends. We were informed that they had ordered a security lock down. It sounded so simple. We went in, contained the leak putting up extra defences just in case, all we had left to do was find out whom." Nagisa paused as she closed her eyes tight "It all happened so quickly that day, throwing everyone off their game. We had an outdoor mock battle when they decided to strike. People dropped around us before we realised what was happening. It wasn't just one person as we were led to believe but a gang of them and they were smart. They targeted those in the chain of command first, making it harder for others to take and give orders. Yumiko and I tried to get around them and find out; but before we could we were all herded into the centre of the training grounds. I couldn't believe it when I saw who it was, the base commander and a few of his loyal cronies, eight of them in his team armed with a small arsenal. The cost would be too high to overpower them, the base held a max of thirty personnel. The base commander was in the loop of whom and what we were and what we had done to the computers. I was dragged to the front, made to kneel in front of him as he pointed a gun to my head. I was so scared, for the first time in my life I felt for sure I was going to die. He demanded to be given Astraea's codes. I said no. I closed my eyes tight when he reached for the trigger. Someone else died instead. I remember the jerk smiling all the time. Four more times he asked me each time I said no. Each time someone else died. He turned his anger on me, beating me senseless. I don't know how long he beat me, all I know when I opened my eyes I found Yumiko kneeling beside me. A gun pointed directly at her." Nagisa had tears flooding down her face, her sobs making it harder for her to talk, as all the pain rushed back. Shizuma forcefully took her into her arms, wrapping her up tight as her cries grew harsh. "He kill…killed her right… in front of me. Ju…just for…some damn codes. I couldn't do anything, I was so weak… I failed her. I got…her kill…killed." Nagisa couldn't speak any more, as she cried her heart out into Shizuma's shoulder.

The etoile rocked her gently and tried to soothe her, her tale had been more than enough to understand her a little better. The pain which Nagisa still tortured herself with, Shizuma could only try and relieve it. _'The sick bastard! He knew exactly what he was doing, luring agents from Astraea to get at their codes, what buttons to press when they arrived. She closes off everyone because of that, no one can get too close to her. Just like me. I don't blame her for doing that to me, I came on rather strong. I don't like to see her like this, I want to see her happy. I finally get her to see past my exterior to something I've hidden for a while. I wonder if I can be something more to her and vice versa.'_ Shizuma stayed holding Nagisa until the latter had cried herself to sleep.

Gently and slowly Shizuma laid Nagisa down on the bed, still keeping the exhausted woman in her arms, making sure she was all tucked in tight. As Shizuma tried to let go off her, Nagisa clung on tighter to her, there wasn't a way in which Shizuma could release the hold without waking her. Deciding it was best to leave her to sleep, Shizuma's only choice was to join her. Carefully she lay down beside her, on top of the covers as Nagisa's hands released their hold on her sweater, with one arm coming to drape over her waist. Shizuma smiled warmly at the woman beside her, knowing that for now no dreams would haunt her sleep. The etoile soothingly stroked the red hair, more for her own benefit since the other was fast asleep. _'Finally she calmed down. I bet she hasn't had a good cry over that in a long while. Then again it didn't happen too long ago. Then she got stuck with the mission of Carter's manor. No time at all to recover, even barely had time to get a psych eval. It's getting late and starting tomorrow we are so going to have a good long talk, the both of us. That's what partners do isn't it?' _

* * *

The morning light streamed in through the balcony windows to gently wake a silver haired beauty. Feeling quite warm especially on her left side the etoile slowly opened her eyes, barely moving she looked towards the clock, trying to sit up but found that a heavy but pleasant weight stopped her from moving too much. Still dozy and not all together there, Shizuma glanced down to her left wondering what was hampering her movements. A mop of red hair was resting on her left shoulder with an arm draped securely around her waist pressing up snuggly against her. The sight finally woke her up and memories of yesterday asserted themselves. _'Well this is a sight I've thought about, not exactly but then again. Seems she slept well which is good. I don't want to move.' _Shizuma stayed where she was a while longer, simply enjoying the warmth and comfort until she decided it was time to get up.

Shizuma quietly went about her morning routine, deviating a little when she checked over her injury, which apart from being sore was holding up nicely as long as she didn't strain herself. After ordering for room service did the hacker finally start to stir, which in turn made Shizuma a tad nervous. A knocking on the door and carrying in the breakfast brought Shizuma to a clearly uncomfortable and blushing Nagisa. An awkward atmosphere penetrated the two women as both tried to find words to say.

"Good morning Nagisa. Sleep well?" Shizuma softly asked

Nagisa bobbed her head looking at the tray of food and drink on the table before her. Shizuma sat down beside her handing her a hot cup of tea and one for herself. Quietly they ate and drank their tea as the awkward tension was still there. _'Well this is annoying. I thought what happened after last night we could move on. I did say I would talk to her even if it makes me uncomfortable.'_

"Nagisa I want to thank you for yesterday for telling me about what happened." Shizuma quietly told Nagisa _"_I had a partner I was close to. Her name was Kaori Sakuragi. After Miyuki went to train for the higher chain, I was partnered with her and we hit it off right away. It was inevitable really, you might think it was a forgone conclusion, but I fell for her and I fell hard. I've never felt that way for someone before. I'd like to say we both did but now I'm not entirely certain. Anyway, we became more than partners until two years ago." Shizuma paused trying to find the words to continue.

It came quite a shock when a warm hand clasped on to hers giving it a gentle squeeze. Not daring to look at the face next to her, but liking the silent support and the time she was given she responded back the same way. The words came hard but she found it a little easier to get them out.

"We were on a mission when it happened, Kaori was restless and I was suspicious. My plans seemed to fail at every turn, no matter what I did. We argued a lot during that time, Kaori going on about how wrong we were and me because she was keeping something from me. Don't get me wrong, secrets are one thing but I knew it was something else from the way she went about things. Finally we herded the guy into a corner, in a massive warehouse at an isolated place. That's when I knew the depth of betrayal. Kaori turned on me with her gun, planting herself in front of the target. I couldn't move or do anything. He then told me of how she had been working for him for a while now, misleading us and corrupting data. Then it all went to hell, Miyuki had sent back up knowing about Kaori's defection and then everyone started shooting. I woke up two days later in the Astraea ward with Miyuki and Shion looking down on me. She had escaped whilst he was being held. I never really trusted anyone after that, especially with my heart."

It was total silence on the room, the only sound was of the breeze blowing the curtain and the normal noise of people hustling about outside. Shizuma kept her face lowered, not wanting to show her watered eyes or the pain lurking within them. The warm hand on her own never budged, which made her feel she had done something right in telling her. Both of their pasts brought to light and their fears. _'It feels kind of good to let it out, to talk to someone about Kaori. If I do meet her again I don't think I'll ever trust her or love her the same way. Nagisa's awful quiet.' _

A few seconds longer in the silence was a bit unsettling for the etoile, her heart had been exposed and now she was waiting for what her partner would do or say. The hand that held her own lifted away, Shizuma missing its support already, only to find it cradling her cheek. Gently Nagisa lifted the etoile's face to meet her own, surprising the latter when she started to wipe away the tears she had let fall. It was soothing to Shizuma; the air of tension which was uneasy earlier had all but disappeared. When Nagisa had finished her hands cradled Shizuma's in her own a warm smile lighting her face, as Shizuma waited for her to speak.

"Thank you for telling me. You didn't have to and I know how painful it must be for you to talk of it. Thanks for trusting me most of all. I promise I won't break your confidence with this. I'm your friend after all" Nagisa spoke softly

* * *

It was late morning as the two agents found themselves seated on the small balcony, Nagisa typing away with Shizuma just finishing her check in with Miyuki. The earlier awkwardness and hostility from before had disappeared; their new found insight and understanding (sort of) of one another had certainly lightened their spirits. Shizuma poured a new glass of fresh orange juice for Nagisa, who gave a small smile thanks, looked over the landscape as she sorted through the last few days. _'Well this has certainly been a mission to remember. The chaos with Carter's Manor, unknown targets and their goals and a temperamental partner being the biggest of my worries. Until now. It's amazing what opening up a little will do for you.' _A quick series of bleeps from across the small table shook Shizuma from her thoughts. Looking to her friend she saw an ever-growing grin on her face. The redhead had found something. Shizuma shuffled her chair closer to comfortably see the laptop, brushing by Nagisa a little which went not unnoticed.

"Gee Shizuma how close do you want to get?" Nagisa teased her

Shizuma turned to give a smirk whilst inwardly she was a little shocked at how Nagisa was behaving "How close do you want me?"

"Close enough to see far enough away so I can relax" Nagisa fired back with a twinkle in her eyes

"Don't you trust me Nagisa?" Shizuma asked leaning forward a little

Nagisa hesitated for a second or two looking Shizuma directly in her eyes seeing a brief flicker of some emotion and knew her answer "For a mission yes, for your 'appetite' no way and as my friend…absolutely."

Shizuma gave a big smile as she heard her answer with an added chuckle for the good natured teasing "Fair enough Nagisa. So what have you found out?"

"Looks like we have found that man you were so _interested_ in the other day." Nagisa clicked a few keys whilst Shizuma raised her brow at the implication.

"And did we actually find something on someone for a change."

Bringing up a picture profile on the screen, Shizuma saw a close up view of the man from the business camera she looked at. They had something tangible at last, something they could work with instead of floundering around.

"Shizuma meet Matthias Dracos. He's a local man, born and bred here. Matthias operates a labour work force, which is why you saw him socialise with the workers instead of the military looking people. As things are here, he served in the military when he left school; after his time was up he got a few degrees. Nothing really stands out." Nagisa looked at Shizuma

"A hardworking man caught up in all this. Reede wanted a work detail; Matt signed up for it not knowing what he was getting into." Shizuma shook her head a little "by the way how did Reede get in contact with Dracos anyway?"

"Ah I was getting to that." Nagisa nodded her head "It seems as well as operating his work force he owns a bar here in town, The Ambrosia. Quite popular too."

Shizuma's eyes glazed over a little as she tried to remember what some of the local people told her when she went snooping that day. It wasn't much but she did recall something about harbour and work outfits.

"I think I know where to start looking for this detail. I recall hearing about a work force being seen at the harbour in the early hours and late at night. We should check it out." Shizuma told her "Anything on the other data you got?"

"Nope. I sent the huge data file to Astraea along with the mini-sub picture. The other one I'm fiddling around with now. It will take a while."

"If you can't find the answer to it Nagisa I doubt others will" Shizuma stated "Now why don't we take a walk around town? We can't search the harbours till late afternoon."

* * *

Shizuma passed Nagisa the binoculars as she continued to stare at the harbour. There was a way in. The only drawback was how to get into the work detail itself. _'If we dress as one of the workers, we can get easy access to the island. Work for a few days whilst we scout out the terrain. I wish we could go there in more style. Oh well, I've been on worse missions.' _Shizuma tore her eyes away from the men and boats below, to look at Nagisa who was still peering at the goings on below. The etoile moved a little closer to her, bending down a little so her chin rested on her shoulder.

"Is Nagisa trying to picture me in that uniform?" whispering teasingly in her ear

Nagisa quickly pulled the binoculars from her eyes, her cheeks tinted red in anger as she glared at the smirking woman beside her. Shizuma couldn't help but tease her; her different reactions were just too good to miss. Nagisa took one step forward, still glaring at her hard, pulled back her hand and gave it to her. Shizuma exhaled loudly as Nagisa shoved the binoculars into her chest, before quickly turning back on her to gaze below. Shizuma chuckled softly as she stood next to her.

"I guess we found our way in." Nagisa pondered aloud

"Yup. No one really takes any notice of individual workers so it will be good cover. Plus it gives a certain freedom to snoop around on the island too."

"Sounds like you've already got this planned out pretty much." Nagisa admired "One itsy-bitsy problem"

"What?"

"How do we sign up?"

Shizuma just stared at Nagisa when she heard the question. She had the basic plan all figured out, yet there was always something she forgot. Heaving a sigh she crossed her arms, now wondering as to the success of the worker plan. Shaking her head a little Shizuma glanced around them; the harbour was the main attraction of the little town, so it had a little foot traffic, thankfully with no one heading in their direction. Draping her arm around Nagisa she pulled them away from the view, back towards the main street.

"Shizuma?" Nagisa asked a little confused by her behaviour

"There is nothing more to be learned from watching them, we might as well try and ask around discreetly if they know. Or for you my little hacker, to find it your way." Shizuma explained still keeping her arm around the other

The two walked casually along the street, talking of little things when Shizuma's eye caught sight of a certain shop. Pulling up abruptly, turning Nagisa in the opposite direction wanting this to be a little surprise.

"Stay here I'll be right back." Shizuma told her, faking a glare to be sure

Nagisa nodded her head still startled a little on the sudden change of her partner. Shizuma glided down the street, turning into an alley where instantly the smell of sweet heavenly aromas filled the air. _'This is just the thing to cheer her up. I remember when we were at that party, she had quite a few slices and I'm betting she would have eaten the whole selection if she tried. I wonder what kind she likes best. Ah! That one is perfect.' _When the etoile had brought her purchase, she returned quickly to Nagisa. Just in the nick of time too. The redhead was listening to an eager woman, as Shizuma walked towards them, both of them not realising her presence for the time being. From what she could see Nagisa was quickly tiring of the chatty one, as her fists were clenched tight. Moving in a little nearer Nagisa caught sight of her and her eyes twinkled in mounting mischief, Shizuma knew something was about to happen and it involved her. Whatever it took for the woman to leave Shizuma will help gladly.

"So how about it cutie, care to join us and have a good time?" the woman tried to sway her

"I'm sorry but I already have plans for two this evening, which will no doubt be good" Nagisa told her smiling wide "with my lovely wife no less"

"Your wife must be very protective if she doesn't allow you to have some fun"

"I get a lot of fun don't get me wrong, but one of her traits is to be very possessive." Nagisa looked over towards Shizuma "Isn't that right honey?"

Shizuma walked over, giving the woman a mean glare as she walked past and stood next to Nagisa. When Nagisa saw the bag, Shizuma shifted it so she couldn't see. It was after all a surprise. The woman didn't look too happy at seeing her; strangely enough the glare she received didn't put her off like it had done to others. Deciding to be more intimate, Shizuma hugged Nagisa to her planting a lingering kiss on her cheek still holding her close as she addressed the other woman.

"Sorry to keep you waiting love. Who is this?"

"She wanted to know if I fancied joining her and a few others for some fun. Unfortunately we already had plans, so I did try and decline. She also happens to be very pushy." Nagisa explained lightly.

Shizuma nodded her head at that, still looking at the other woman, who was strangely enough not getting the hints. How much blunter would they have to be, to get through the thick skull that a no means a no.

"Sorry to disappoint but we have plans that only involve two, so excuse us." Shizuma bluntly ended the conversation.

"You are rather possessive of her aren't you?"

The two agents stopped just a few steps away when they heard her; Shizuma tightened her grip on Nagisa's shoulder, more for her own mounting anger than anything. Turning her head the etoile glared coldly at her.

"That about sums it up. Now leave us alone" Her ice cold tone sent shivers down those around her.

The woman took the hint finally and left, not daring to rebuke the words as she scurried away. Shizuma released Nagisa with a heavy sigh, when she noticed Nagisa's stare aimed straight at her. It made her squirm, which was unusual for her.

"What's with that look?" Shizuma asked her

"You usually get along so well with women, yet that one you treated downright nasty. I should be asking you what the matter is."

"Nothing is wrong, that woman rubbed me the wrong way is all. Now shall we go?"

Shizuma started to walk off slowly, Nagisa falling quickly in beside her. It wasn't too long before Shizuma saw her friend peeking around her to eye the bag. Coming up to a crossing in the street, they waited patiently for the signal to go. One however was sneaking her way around Shizuma, who of course kept track of the little redhead. When Nagisa edged her way to the other side, Shizuma shook her head as moved the bag into her other hand. Receiving a mini glare and a cute pout, Shizuma gave her a smile in reply. The green light told them to cross, as soon as they reached the other side Nagisa's curiosity got the better of her.

"What's in the bag Shizuma?" Nagisa asked

"It's a surprise."

Shizuma kept on smiling as she dodged her attempts to see inside. They managed not to knock into people along the way, but there were plenty of close calls.

"Awww what gives?" Nagisa pouted cutely

The etoile had a hunch, a big one, concerning the ability of that look Nagisa was currently using on her. Ripping her eyes away from the maximised cuteness, Shizuma continued on, very pleased when she heard a tut and cuss from behind. Nagisa hastily caught back up, still looking eager to know but not enough to have a good whine about it. Shizuma decided to tease her a little, their new understanding of each other opened up new possibilities.

"Nagisa you are one curious kitten"

"Anyone would be curious, if you wave something underneath their nose and not say anything on what it is." Nagisa argued back

"I told you it was a surprise"

"That's what makes it worse." Nagisa finally whined

"Awww my poor cute little kitten" Shizuma teased her, loving the subtle blush with it.

She was enjoying it until she saw her partner smirk. Shizuma soon figured out, that whenever Nagisa used that smirk she was getting impish. It bode ill for whoever was her target, namely her at the current time.

"Whatever you say Silvie." As Nagisa continued to walk on.

Shizuma stopped walking raising her eyebrow at her partner. Luckily they had reached their hotel, so Nagisa giving her a final smirk leaving the mutinous woman alone, whilst the redhead went to their shared hotel room. Slow to follow her, Shizuma took her time with every step thinking some sort of revenge for that awful nickname she landed with. _'No way is she calling me that, especially outdoors. I don't like it. Couldn't she have called me something else? What can I do to…? I got it! The curious kitten won't get her little surprise, or maybe until I'm satisfied. Too cruel not to let her have it after all.' _Her room door was in front of her, preparing herself, for what she wasn't sure, Shizuma reached out and opened it. Carefully hiding the treasure behind her back as she went in. Nagisa was seated on her bed tapping away at her mini laptop, sparing Shizuma one quick glance when she heard the door click shut.

"What took you so long? Waylaid by a needy maid? Thugs trying to kill you again? No…no I got it. It was an ex-lover seeking revenge by trying to take candid pictures of you, until you found out and returned the favour" all the while looking very happy with herself.

"Funny kitten. I wasn't gone that long" Shizuma told her, as she down on her bed opposite, placing the mystery bag near the back of the bed closest to the wall.

"Twenty minutes Silvie." Shizuma growled Nagisa chuckled "It doesn't take you that long to walk from the lobby to here."

"Why, did my cute little kitten miss my company for that long? Want me to give you extra attention in return?"

Shizuma turned from scowling to flirty in a heartbeat. Moving with feline grace, she stalked closer and closer towards her kitten. Shizuma enjoyed the way Nagisa tried to go backwards, only to find the wall stopping her. When she saw her prey make a break to the side, nearest the door, Shizuma pounced. Her hands caught her around the waist, hearing 'oomph!' as the redhead was now half off the bed still struggling to get away. Chuckling heartily Shizuma straddled her, pinning her legs effectively down on the bed. Making sure she was secured Shizuma then began to pull Nagisa back up. They were laughing enthusiastically with a few squeals here and there. A maid walked on past, her eyes going wide and ears turning red, as listened at the noise coming from the room. The maid crept closer until she heard a loud thump and a few moans. Unwilling to listen anymore the maid scurried away, a full flushed face and eyes wide with many a thought rushing through her mind.

Beyond the locked door showed the playful women lying in heap on the floor. It seems that in a bout of tickling, Nagisa twitched a little too much, knocking Shizuma off her and the bed. Unfortunately the said woman was entangled with Nagisa still, bringing her along for the brief ride. When they finished their bout of laughter and dried their eyes they finally looked at their positions. Nagisa was beet red when she realised she was straddling Shizuma, who was looking all amused at the situation. Shizuma was in a high state of tension, yet she tried very hard not to show it as she watched Nagisa scramble off her.

"I didn't know you were that eager to do _this_ and _that_ to me." She teased her

Nagisa gave her a glare that didn't hold "If you keep that up I'll…"

"Fine, fine. I'll cut you some slack" Shizuma granted her as she got up herself

"So can I see what's in the bag now?" Nagisa asked Shizuma wearing a bright smile

"On one condition" Shizuma told her watching as the smile faltered a little "You never call me Silvie again."

Nagisa chuckled at the deal; nodding her head vigorously she stuck out her hand to finalise the agreed terms. Shizuma took it in her own, feeling the warmth and smooth skin and clenched it firmly.

"Deal" Nagisa nodded once.

Before Shizuma could blink Nagisa was around her and kneeling on the bed to reach for the bag. Coming up behind her Shizuma saw how excited the redhead seemed to be in opening up the little surprise. Nagisa took it carefully out of the bag and began to open it, scuttling back to the edge so Shizuma could sit down beside her. It must have been the wrapping or the feel of the parcel that made Nagisa unwrap it cautiously, as she bit her lip showing her concentration. Shizuma was more interested in her face than the gift; it showed everything and was more than pleased when her partner opened the last layer. Nagisa's eyes flew wide open her mouth was slack jawed until it formed into a toothy smile. In her hands was a sponge cake, with fresh strawberries and cream in the centre, icing decorated the top with a good dollop of another cream and slices of strawberries around the edges. It wasn't a large cake, enough for four small slices, but it certainly wouldn't last long with the sweet tooth Nagisa seemed to have.

Shizuma barely registered her partner putting down the cake before arms wrapped around her neck in a squeezy hug. What made her blush a little was the soft peck she received. Before she could say anything Nagisa was off out of the door, in search of plates and drink to go with it. The agent touched her cheek gently where Nagisa had brushed her lips on earlier, rising from her bed to go to the balcony. As she settled on the railing with arms crossed on top taking her weight, she admired the scenery as her mind worked over the little friendly tumble. _'In all my partners' I've never been that friendly before, there was always something I wanted. Hearing her laugh like that was worth it to me. Playing around like a couple of kids, I wonder what people would have thought if they walked on by and heard us. Something in the gutter probably. She's like a child getting all giddy at the sight of a cake. I can't really complain though, the hug and…kiss was nice.' _Her thoughts were interrupted when Nagisa came dashing into the room, with two plates and a jug of juice. A big smile still graced her face as she set up the little table in their room.

"Gosh Nagisa all excited over a little cake" teased Shizuma who was now fully facing the room.

"I'm sorry" Nagisa looked sheepish "I guess it's been a while since someone gave me a gift, especially making it into a surprise."

Shizuma said nothing as she watched Nagisa put the cake onto the table, in a much calmer mood than before. Shizuma pushed herself away from the railing to walk over to her embarrassed partner, putting an arm around her shoulders and roughly pulled her to her side. It brought a yelp of surprise from Nagisa at the unexpected show of affection.

"Don't be down Nagisa; I'm glad you liked it"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

The day was hot and humid like any other normal day on the island. Shizuma didn't know if she could take much more of the insufferable heat, since she wasn't enjoying it at all. No, the etoile was tracking down the contractor through different means and places and she was already tired and it wasn't yet afternoon. Already Shizuma had searched some of the closest harbours, looking for anything she could use or find with no such luck. Her partner had elected to stay in the hotel to work. A hunch told her that more than likely the redhead was on the balcony sipping juice having a relaxing time. You could tell she was getting irritated. Shizuma's last stop with all likelihood of succeeding was 'The Ambrosia' the nightclub of Dracos.

Arriving at her location Shizuma gave the building a quick inspection, the strange conjoined idea of a local style tavern with a nightclub attached. The tavern part was nicely arranged with flowers trailing the wooden beams and simple statues elegantly placed. Stone marked the floor with a mosaic effect and at night there were torches placed around to give it an authentic feel. Walking to the entrance she saw a few people already enjoying the food and drink as holiday makers are prone to do, sitting herself on a table closest to the small fence that skirted the rim. Keeping her eyes peeled on everyone Shizuma decided there wasn't any harm indulging a bit considering how her day was turning out, so she ordered ouzo with lemonade and a small Greek salad. _'I have to admit this place is rather nice. I wonder why he works as a contractor if he has this place. I hope Nagisa can find out Reede's plan schedule. My hunch that picture map she has is the key. Well doesn't she look lovely.' _Shizuma looked from the corner of her eye as a woman approached her with her food and drink. The etoile gave her, her best smile as she finished setting things down. A blush told her she had made some impact.

"Thank you very much." Shizuma thanked her yet kept her eyes firmly on the woman's

"You're welcome. Is there anything else I can get for you?" she asked a little jittery

'_Hmm…women should be careful when they say that to me. There's no harm in having a little fun. Then again I did promise Nagisa this morning no funny business. That girl's got to liven up. ' _

"Hmm… There is something you can do for me actually. I was wondering if the owner is available." Shizuma politely asked

The waitress looked thoughtfully for a second; the question seemed to come out of nowhere before giving the etoile a nod of her head and a statement of seeing if the said person was available. Diving into her salad and sipping her drink Shizuma waited patiently for her request to come. After she had finished and her plate taken away she watched as people walked on past. What she didn't count on was a dark brunette with deep hazel eyes and trendy outfit sit languidly in the opposite seat wearing a small smirk and an appreciative look in her eyes.

"You wanted to see me?" the woman asked silkily

Shizuma kept her startled look from her face as she heard her; apparently their information was slightly off. Giving the owner her best charming smile she nodded her head, yet the newcomer wasn't fooled.

"Apparently you were expecting someone else."

There was nothing she could say to that so she decided to get the conversation going "I'm Shizuma Hoshi, nice to meet you"

"You can call me Nicia. What can I do for you?"

Shizuma carefully thought about her next words. She didn't know the woman or what role she had in all this, so stepping real lightly she continued "I had meant to discuss some business with Mr Dracos, concerning his work detail."

"I believe Matthias is all booked up for a while. Anything I can help you with or discuss?" looking a little irritated at something

"It's a…sensitive issue I have and I can only discuss it with Dracos. I don't suppose he's around. Is there a way I could contact him?"

Shizuma knew as soon as she said the words that it wouldn't go down well. Nicia apparently was very protective and sharper than she first realised. The brunette was leaning right back in her chair, drumming her fingers on the table and her eyes never left the agents face. Shizuma looked closer at the woman and saw that hidden beneath all her bravado, she was quite scared. _'Whatever's going on it sure has her spooked. It must be Reede's doing. This just got a little more complicated.' _

"Well then there's nothing more to say. I hope you have a pleasant day Ms Hoshi." Nicia stood up ready to leave

Shizuma darted from her chair and made to grab her arm to make her stay until Nicia flinched away from her in surprise or instinct. The agent merely raised her hands after that, not wanting to make such a wrong impression than she already had.

"Please wait a moment" she asked hurriedly noting a few curious looks in her direction.

Her phone knew when to ring. It usually did at the worst possible time especially; Shizuma recalled that it did quite often on this mission. Jamming her hand into her pocket of her trousers to find the annoying device with the surety of telling the caller what she thought of them. Well that was the plan.

"Hello. What do you want?" she said tartly

"Well hello to you to." A familiar sweet voice floated down the phone "what's got your knickers in a twist?"

Shizuma sighed as she started to calm down "Sorry about that. I haven't had a good day so far."

"Hmm. I'm guessing you haven't found anything all morning and now you're in a spot of bother with a lovely brunette." Nagisa summed up

Shizuma glanced around the tavern to spot the red head but no such luck, even going so far as to look outside. Her partner wasn't there. It was kind of creepy yet she still felt reassured, someone was watching her back.

"How?" she simply asked

"You didn't think I was just going to let you go off without checking up on you did you?" Nagisa sounded smug "Is that Nicia who's giving you the funny look?"

"It is. What can you tell me?" Shizuma gave in

"I should trust her with some information Shizuma. Not who you were expecting when you asked for the owner eh?"

"You kitten have some explaining to do when I get back" Shizuma warned her lightly

"I can't wait darling. See you later"

Putting her phone back into her pocket Shizuma waved Nicia back into her seat. Trusting her partner she decided to begin giving as much information as she could, without giving herself away. When she finished Nicia didn't look all that shocked at the information. Shizuma gave her time to process it as she warily kept an eye on her surroundings.

"I can believe what you say about Mr Reede. Especially with what I've been told." Nicia softly spoke

"Will you help me talk to Dracos?" Shizuma asked

"Yes. I will." Nodding her head once "Come back again tonight and I will make sure he is available. First you will need a sort of code word"

Nicia stood up walked to Shizuma's side and leant to whisper in her ear and with that she left without a look back. Sitting still and letting her mind go back on the conversation Shizuma thought of how much more trouble they can find. Until she realised what she said and completely did a 180. _'I'm always getting into trouble.'_

* * *

It was early afternoon now and Shizuma had just walked into her hotel room looking a little flustered. Doing a quick sweep of the room she found no redhead, yet looking a little further out towards the balcony she saw her partner. Letting loose a little growl of annoyance, the scene was just as she imagined earlier, the hacker sitting in her chair sipping juice and looking like she was sunbathing. Her mood soured just a bit. Heading to the balcony she saw a laptop lying on the table near her partner, yet it didn't help relieve her mood. Coming once more in the hot sun she stood with arms crossed and a small glare lining her face. Nagisa flicked her eyes in her direction then went back towards the scenery. Shizuma waited patiently. Nagisa must have felt the alarms going off, since she turned her head fully to face the agent raising her brow in question.

"What's up with you?" Nagisa asked

"Comfortable are we?" gesturing slightly to the juice and her relaxed poise

Nagisa lips twitched into a small smile as she reached for another glass pouring Shizuma a drink as Shizuma continued to look grumpy "Sit down etoile and drink up."

Holding her position a few seconds longer she heaved a sigh and collapsed elegantly into the chair next to her friend. Taking a few sips to cool and calm her down she noticed Nagisa was keeping an eye on her mood status. Clever girl. Shizuma watched as Nagisa placed her glass onto the small table and reached for her laptop, lifting up the cover and turning it around so she could see. A little bit of shame washed over her as she read the screen. It was the bio of a certain owner of 'The Ambrosia'.

"I'm sorry kitten" she apologised softly

"You should be Shi." Nagisa said with a jokey tone "How did it go with Nicia?"

Shizuma told her everything that happened at the tavern and the meeting with Dracos that night. Nagisa just sat quiet throughout nodding her head at some points. Shizuma though sensed that Nagisa was holding something back. When she finished the two agents knew that they had gotten a little further.

"Nagisa what have you found?" Shizuma asked

The redhead tapped another key on her laptop and Shizuma saw another screen appear "That weird picture we found on the hard drive, I've managed to find out what it's about."

Shizuma waited but nothing more was said "What is it? It still looks like a map that's gone wrong."

"You're right Shizuma. I finally found it deep within our own government records. It took me a while to hack my way inside. This project is certainly being kept under wraps. This is an underwater map, for want of a better description showing secret conduits that are hidden there."

"What do these conduits do exactly? How does Reede know about these for that matter?" Shizuma demanded

"What they contain even I haven't found out, but then again even with that you can tell that's it sensitive information. As for Reede he helped build and construct the basic plan until he was ousted for reasons still unknown. If he uses the 'Trojan Horse' on those conduits, it will be a total disaster not for our own but for all those that are connected. The worst thing is they come online in a matter of days."

It certainly dampened the mood on the balcony. They finally found out what was a reasonable theory of The Archives plan for the Virus and none of it sounded good. There best bet was that night.

* * *

As planned the two agents dressed up for a night out, though not in the usual frills but more along the lines of casual. It was a safe bet that they would find trouble and it was easier to fight in flat shoes rather than heels. Arriving at 'The Ambrosia' to a packed place, they gradually got in and found a table reasonably close to the bar. Shizuma stayed by Nagisa's side as they manoeuvred their way in and out of the throng. A few guys tried to hit on her which she totally blew off, unfortunately whichever way you looked at it, when girls started to flirt with her Nagisa would yank her arm firmly away. It was as if the redhead didn't trust her with women. Finally settled with a small drink at a small table near the bar, the etoile scanned the crowd looking for Nicia or Dracos with no luck. Conversation between the two was light and full of banter which Shizuma enjoyed immensely. There was something about the woman that Shizuma felt drawn to. Until something interrupted her joyous evening.

"Are you my beautiful angel?" a guy smiled charmingly at the silver head coming around the table

Shizuma looked at him in confusion; his trying charms fell on deaf ears. Nagisa looked from one to the other in amusement; this guy obviously was wasting his efforts trying to flirt with Shizuma. Even though this was the guy they needed the information from, staying on his good side was a priority. Shizuma wasn't buying into his crap, folding her arms she stared in irritation at the sleazy guy in front of her. She wasn't charmed a bit, not at the meeting place and certainly not at him. _'If he keeps coming on to me like that, I will deck him one. Regardless of what information and help he can give. Now if it was a female, I'll have it in no time and enjoy myself doing it. What is Nagisa doing?' _

Nagisa was giving him a full smile, which switched his attention from Shizuma to her. She nodded her head to his talk, giggled at his jokes and looking quite embarrassed at his flirts. The young whiz seemed entranced by the guy. He leaned over towards Nagisa, way too close for Shizuma's liking, as she tensed rigidly. Shizuma was comforted by a warm hand on her knee, now knowing for sure it was all an act, assured and somewhat liking the contact between them. It quickly disappeared. Nagisa reached over to tug the guy's collar closer to her, her smiling impishly and he was quite willing. Nagisa's mouth found his ear, Shizuma was furious, not knowing exactly why it affected her so much.

With a jolt the guy flew back into his chair, the chair rocked dangerously on the back legs. Looking wide eyed at Nagisa shifting his gaze to Shizuma, all the while gaping like a fish.

"Well Matt, finally in the mood to talk straight?" Nagisa asked in a cool tone all her earlier behaviour vanished, even the hand on the etoile's knee much to her disappointment.

"Of course, but not here" Matt finally managed to blurt out

Standing up briskly, Matt gestured for them to follow, leading the women through the crowd and towards the back rooms. The room itself was barely furnished, enough chairs to sit on, a rickety table and what looked to be a small fridge in the corner. Shizuma betted it held a lot of booze. Soon they seated themselves down at the table, with the women occupying one side whilst Matt wisely took the other.

"I'm sorry about earlier, I wasn't expecting two of you" he calmly told them, finally over his shock

"Plans change." Shizuma gave him a glare

"I'm Nagisa Hoshi and this is my partner Shizuma." Nagisa started the introductions "We've come to discuss some business dealings with you."

"Nicia has already briefed me on you. Well one of you at least. Something along the lines of being in my worker detail?" Matt wrapped it up nicely

Shizuma and Nagisa gave each other a quick glance which told one another exactly what they were thinking. The decision on whether to trust him with information on their plan, or not at all. _'I don't think we have much of a choice. He could be a great help in getting us there and with information to. The only trouble being the danger it puts on him.' _Shizuma gave Nagisa a small nod of her head in turn Nagisa gave Matt a brief outline on what they planned to do.

"Now do we have your cooperation?" Shizuma briskly asked

"You want me to take you two on as workers, so you can observe the Archive's den? Hell I can be crucified if he figures out I helped you willingly" he harshly told them

"Who would tell him? We certainly can't since it implicates us. Or are you buying time for some reason?" Nagisa questioned him

"It will look suspicious if I show up with new people there" making another argument

"Is that what this is all about?" Shizuma had enough with this guy; she reached over to grab his collar slamming his head hard on the table "Look here, all we want is the cover you can provide, you shouldn't worry about anything else."

Nagisa had jumped at her when the woman had lost it, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder trying to calm her down. Shizuma looked at her out the corner of her eye, noting that she was a little weary of her. Taking in a deep breath to calm down, she released the hold on Matt and sat down focusing her eyes on the wall. Something other to look at, than the annoying twerp in front of her. _'Why did I react like that? I hardly ever lose my cool. I guess it really started when he flirted with Nagisa. I have to stop this. It is not helping me on this mission. I can't get emotionally attached to her.' _ Nagisa seated herself down and Matt looked at Shizuma wearily rubbing his head from the forceful slam. Everyone was weary of the other, not a good thing when you needed a way in and the guy you nearly pulverised was the ticket in. Heaving a strained sigh the etoile knew she had to make the first move, one she had two minds in doing so.

"I'm sorry about earlier. It's been a tough few days I shouldn't have taken it out on you." Shizuma apologised somewhat gritted

Matt gave her a look which swapped from one to the other. Nagisa gave him her stoic face knowing it rested in his hands now. The contractor shook his head and with a huge heave walked over to the fridge and got out a six pack of beer. It was apparently one of those nights. Tossing the two agents a beer he reseats himself down opposite them. Shizuma eyed him warily but the man seemed to ignore it.

"What did I do wrong to wind up in this mess? First a crazy delusional killer hires my men for grunt work hauling equipment all over. Now I have you two who wants my services." Matthias talked aloud trying to figure where his misfortunes started

The women shared a look. It seemed Matt had gotten in deep with the Archive to make him close ranks and since he just blabbed that about him they finally got a picture why.

"If you are just his work force why are you so hesitant in this suggestion of ours?" Shizuma asked but when she saw him flinch tried a different approach "Or is it because it's been tried before?"

He drank a long gulp of his drink banging it a little on the table when he was done. Matt looked hard at them switching his gaze from one to the other.

"What did he do to make sure you kept quiet?" Nagisa softly asked

Matt gave her his undivided attention with a stone cold look. Yet that look soon softened as he replied "Might as well tell you, if it gets you to stop with this nonsense. My men got cold feet soon after we took the job. The security that surrounds us when we work was only and still is a part of it, a daunting one. Then there's this…well I'll call them a guy for your benefit who makes you shiver every time they walk past. We were explicitly told not to look at the packages or break them. Not our job to anyhow but they were most severe in their warnings about it. Anyways one day soon after we started we were summoned together." He took a moment to gulp down another long mouthful of his beer before continuing "there he was with the other guy who never seemed to far from him with some helpless sod on the floor kneeling in front. It was one of my men. They killed him and with it came a warning, whoever goes against him meets the same fate."

Shizuma listened and watched as Matthias opened a new can and drank. _'Well it certainly did its job of keeping things quiet. Damn Reede! He kills men in front of others to ensure their loyalty. He isn't hesitant in whatever's he's doing' _Shizuma thought over once again on what she had been told, the Shadow was certainly in the background that she already knew. Why on the other hand was still a mystery. The packages Matt talked about could only be one thing, the equipment from the business front or the Virus itself.

"I don't suppose you happened to look inside the packages you're hauling by any chance?" Shizuma casually asked

"After that little stunt?" Matt looked a little nervous

"You did, didn't you?" Nagisa pressured him

"Why should I tell you?" Matt blasted right back

"Because if you don't" Shizuma told him and before he could respond she continued "there will be a lot more trouble and death before this is all over. You don't want that staining your hands"

It took a little while for the words to sink in, past the booze and knocks but he finally caught on. Shizuma and Nagisa just gave him time to muddle through it all, taking smaller sips of their own beers which weren't much to their tastes.

"If I help you" he started haltingly "what's to stop him from killing me if he finds out about the two of you?"

"Our promise that he will never get that information from us." Nagisa softly told him

Shizuma knew as did Matt that Nagisa didn't exactly answer the question. There were no certainties in their line of work, sometimes hard choices had to be made and innocents sometimes got in the middle. Reaching over unseen by Matt, Shizuma gently squeezed Nagisa's hand in reassurance and in turn she got one of her own.

"There was some equipment that looked like sonar devices. The strange thing was there definitely not Greek origin. Plus one of my men was once a sailor in the army and he recognised some serious hardware. He mentioned something along the lines of laser tech"

It took a moment after the little declaration for Shizuma to figure out what Matthias was actually talking about. Then she understood he was answering the previous question. Whatever the Archive was planning he needed some serious stuff. The thing that bothered her was the origin of the sonar ware, if he planned an attack on Greece with the information he stole the reason for having a foreign device puzzled her. More so it enraged her. _'If the attack was planned for this country he would have everything within reach already. He's planning on something else entirely. With who I wish I knew' _

"Thank you." Nagisa nodded her head

"I'll help, you have my word." Matt stood up and extended his hand towards Nagisa who readily shook it, and then in turn Shizuma did the same.

After a few more minutes of finalising their deal and exchanging information the two agents found themselves back in the crowded bar. The music was loud and the chatter was barely heard, yet everyone seemed to be having a great time. Shizuma got separated from Nagisa by a trio of slightly drunken women and soon she was lost in the crowd. Like the old saying goes 'Every cloud has a silver lining'. Shizuma spotted something out of place, which in itself was amazing due to the amount of people, but something about these three men was wrong.

Planting her feet firmly to avoid being swept away once more she casually, as she could, observed them. They were dressed smartly but casual and seemed to fit in, nevertheless it was their behaviour that didn't seem right. They were nervous and looking for someone. It didn't even take her two guesses as to whom and even if they weren't looking for either her or her partner, it was better safe than sorry. It was at that moment when she had decided to leave that she met one of the goon's eyes. They widened in recognition. It was all the evidence she needed. A hand on her arm made her swivel around only to face an irritated red head, which looked sourly at an admirer she had picked up. Not waiting for any words she grabbed Nagisa's hand and pulled her along dodging patrons as she went heading for the rear of the tavern. Looking for the exit Shizuma hardly slowed down at all.

"What's going on?" Nagisa huffed

"We have unwanted attention and I'd rather not wait around to find out." Shizuma replied as she pushed open the exit door.

'_It was going so well too.' _It seems that the front of the tavern was easiest to leave by as they stood in front of the three men each looking ready to fight. Letting go of Nagisa's hand Shizuma stepped away a little to give them both room, two followed her, her own eyes was busy scanning the darken alley.

"I don't suppose we can talk this out" Nagisa called out, seeing them look un-amused "I guess not"

Gearing herself for a fight Shizuma quickly assessed her two targets. It was certainly going to be a challenge. The two men started to advance and the last remaining one stalked after Nagisa. The brawl had started with kicks, fists jabs and swipes being flung.

Nagisa was backed roughly against the wall. Powerful arms kept her wrists to the sides, stocky legs kept hers still and from lashing out. Altogether Nagisa was held in a vice grip. Nagisa squirmed underneath him, not like being defenceless one bit and certainly not by an ugly brute like him. Shizuma was too busy with her own opponents to help her out, finally managing to clobber one with a rusty section of pipe. The other man sized her up; the silver head didn't look like much of a threat at first glance, more of a model strutting about. He began to attack more cautiously than before, taking nothing for granted by the woman.

Nagisa was stuck in her own dilemma, after her previous attacker had scored her heavily it had left her open to this one, considering how she was pinned to the wall. He even had the audacity to try and kiss her, not daring to lose his grip, he could only move his head to capture his prize. Nagisa shifted her head away from him each time, making him more and more irritated at every passing failure. Nagisa then cringed in disgust as she felt moist lips kiss her neck. The young agent squirmed violently, testing her strength against his, only to succeed in freeing her leg. Good enough. Bending her knee she brought it forcefully up, right against the man's pride and joy.

Yelling out in pure pain, Nagisa knew she only had seconds to spare, forced him off her dodging his arms as she moved away from him. Unfortunately he hit her wounded side, bringing her roughly to the ground hard. Nagisa yelled in pain, as once more the brute pinned her down. A hard blow landed hard against her cheek, she tasted something of copper on her tongue, realising that a busted lip added to her injuries. Her lower right side was screaming in protest as she tried to use her limbs to once more get free.

"You're mine now" he growled at her

He leaned in with a passion; to claim what he thought was his. Nagisa shut her eyes tight, against the looming man, her searing side and sore face.

"Those lips are mine you bastard!" an angry voice shouted

A loud crack knocked the guy out cold before he could turn around, landing fully on the injured woman. Nagisa opened her eyes to see a heavily breathing Shizuma overhead, looking disgusted at the man she just knocked out.

"Quit staring and get him off me" Nagisa grunted at her

Shizuma had just realised the position that Nagisa was in, not liking it a bit, quickly rolled the thick muscled man off her and took in her appearance. A large cut had sliced her low on the right side, a newly forming bruise on her cheek and not to mention a busted lip. Shizuma thought she still looked adorable, even though she had been beaten up pretty badly.

"You are a mess my little kitten" Shizuma informed her, looking at her warmly, helping her sit up.

Nagisa looked herself over; she was filthy and bloody, agreed with Shizuma. Shizuma took in their surroundings, gladly noting that all the bad guys were accounted for and all out cold. A hiss of pain brought her attention back to Nagisa, as the woman was trying to tend to her wounds, her face got real pale. Shizuma shook her head as she quickly caught Nagisa's hands to prevent her from doing more harm.

"Here let me"

Carefully and cautiously she slid the top up to see a deep gash. Shizuma was relieved to know that this wouldn't require stitches; all it needed was a bandage.

Looking to Nagisa she told her "This doesn't need any stitches Nagisa. Come on let's get you seen to."

"This is so embarrassing." Nagisa groaned as she stood wobbly to her feet.

Shizuma smiled a little by her side, with her arm firmly around Nagisa. "You're nothing but trouble"

Nagisa just gave her a glare, which to Shizuma looked more cute than intimidating.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

"Who was that?"

Shizuma turned her head to a warm sight. Nagisa was still in the process of trying to wake herself up, dressed in her oversized t-shirt, hair in disarray and rubbing her eyes hoping it would help wake her up. _'CUTE!' _Shizuma smiled warmly at her, the young woman was looking and acting like a child.

"That was Matt dropping off our uniforms among other things."

She walked over to her own bed; depositing the two uniforms neatly along with the other accessories she was given. Shizuma gasped and jumped a little when she felt two arms wrap around her waist, a weight comfortably pressed and leaned onto hers. Too stunned to move or speak, not wanting to dislodge her, Shizuma turned her head back to look at Nagisa. In the brief time they come to know each other, really get to know, the etoile found out rather quick that Nagisa wasn't a morning person. This just proved it. The redhead had half closed eyes not taking in anything, jerking her head back up right when she began to droop. _'Honestly this girl. I have to admit she looks adorable when she's just waking up. Then again she's cute any time. I never would have guessed her to be like this when I first met her. Then again no one is. I hope I can get to know her better after all this is done.' _

"Shi…" Nagisa tried to talk but a loud yawn worked its way out. "Did he say anything when he came?"

Shizuma giggled to herself at Nagisa's attempt to stay awake, her speech was slurred with sleep. Turning around, surprisingly Nagisa's arms loosened up enough for her to move, only to tighten again when she finished. Deciding to enjoy the moment Shizuma hugged her partner back, smiling more widely when she heard a happy sigh. They stayed that way for a while each enjoying the others embrace, or in Nagisa's case a huggable pillow. After a nice warm hug the etoile gently shook Nagisa awake, guiding her back to sit on her own bed. Checking her over, noting gladly that the swollen lip had died down and the bruise could be covered up with a little makeup. The long cut on her side was a little trouble so she tenderly washed it and put a fresh bandage around her. Shizuma noticed that Nagisa barely moved or spoke the entire time, looking a little closer at the red head who apart form a slight blush was still only groggily half awake. Risking a quick look to the clock stifling a small groan when she realised it was time to get moving.

The trouble was getting Nagisa up and awake. Shaking her a little got no response. _'How can I wake her up? Dumping her in cold water is a no-go and it takes twice as long to dry off. Hmm…I wonder if that gadget is around here somewhere.' _Shizuma left her partner dozing whilst she rummaged through Nagisa's gadget pile. Finding the perfect alarm clock she primed and readied it, preparing herself for the shock as well she turned it down towards the floor. '_3…2…1…Wakey wakey'_ Pulling the trigger a loud horn blasted around the room. Flinching at the loud blare herself Shizuma watched as Nagisa literally jumped from the bed shock plastered across her face. It was a quick burst of noise nevertheless it did its job. Having a murderous death glare sent her way Shizuma smiled a little two sweetly.

"Good morning kitten. Rise and shine"

* * *

"What do you think?" Shizuma asked Nagisa, giving her a little twirl.

Shizuma watched as Nagisa turned fully around to face her, watching her face very closely. She surely was disappointed; she mustn't look all that good in it to get no reaction from her friend. Nagisa roamed her eyes from head to toe, keeping her face neutral all the time.

"When you said all the workers would make a good cover for us…" Nagisa looked her straight in the eye "you meant me and the rest I take it Shi, because you stick out like a sore thumb." Turning her back towards her.

Shizuma tried to stop the smile on coming through. The workers outfit certainly hid _most_ of her figure, the cap helped a little to hide her face unfortunately her long mane was a no go to hide. Creeping up behind her Shizuma put her hands gently on the hacker's shoulders; the said woman didn't even jump at the contact, as Shizuma put her lips close to her ear.

"We can play dress up later my little kitten" purring slightly

Shizuma jumped back as Nagisa twirled around looking quite flushed at the accusation. The hacker tried to give as best as she got. Shizuma smiled brightly at their interplay.

"Why Shi I didn't think you leaned that way. Besides that uniform doesn't do you justice"

"What would you like to see me in? Nurse? Maid?" Stepping in closer

"Hmm… definitely worth looking into but I thought of something that suits you just fine" surprising Shizuma as she stepped right up close, bringing her mouth close to her ear "A straight jacket and gag looks about right"

Shizuma growled low as she watched Nagisa stepped back smiling wide. Then watched as she started to chuckle. It was probably due to the fact Shizuma was blushing quite a bit, something which she rarely does.

Nagisa was rummaging through her bag; all of it was different gadgets for different purposes. The real choice was what was best to take with them, if they can be concealed or not and also if things didn't go well what would help them best. Shizuma was by her side as she took in for the first time, the extent of Nagisa's collection. Stealing a quick glance of her partner, she saw her deep in concentration as she picked up different ones judging their worth and qualities. It was so not her forte, she had hers already on her person not great ones but they did their job and had saved her life on more than one occasion. Checking her watch she realised they didn't have much time left, until they had to be at the meeting point for their pick up.

"Kitten we have to get moving soon." Shizuma told her softly not wanting to break her focus "Are these all yours or did Chikaru dump these on you?"

Nagisa giggled at that "Of course she didn't dump them on me Shi. These ones are my main ones I take with me on every mission" pointing at one very small pile, her laptop, scrambler and phone "I guess I'm wondering what to take with me, I have quite a few as you can tell."

"I guess… how about surveillance and downloadable gadgets like your pocket mirror. That one helped with the mini sub plans. If we can get hold of a guards tag we can get access to other areas."

Nagisa nodded her head decisively as she heard Shizuma's ideas, quickly sifting through her gadgets putting them aside to take with them. One was a weird design, as the etoile wondered how Nagisa was going to hide it. It was a long thin metal thing, the length of a ruler and as thin as a needle, the smallest size you could get. Picking it up Shizuma handled it gently as she examined it. Her confusion must have shown on her face as Nagisa came to aid. Taking it from her grasp Nagisa showed her slowly what it did, a double ended wire was clipped on one end of the pipe and the other she clipped to the computer. Then when nothing happened, Shizuma looked even more confused as Nagisa looked somewhat amused.

"Alright what did I miss?" she asked her sharply not like being the dummy in the room.

"Don't be like that Shizuma; you didn't miss anything, as there wasn't anything to see anyway. All this does is carry the current or data without a pause, so the main people in security don't notice a glitch. We can then fiddle with what we want with ease. Then again if you look closely enough, you can detect that someone is messing around with it."

"Handy thing. Question, how do we know that they are unaware of our fiddling as you put it" Shizuma looked at Nagisa.

The agent kept her eyes firmly away from hers as she packed her gear onto her body hiding it among her clothes. There was no answer which was an answer in itself. Heaving a heavy sigh it made Nagisa blurt out her distress.

"I'm sorry Shi nothing is ever exact you know. When I help design some programmes for Chikaru for the gadgets, there's always some back door you can get in by."

Shizuma put her hands on the other agent's shoulders to try and calm her partner down. She didn't mean to insult or insinuate her skills in any way. But time was fast becoming a problem; they needed to meet up with the rest of the workers very soon. The two agents hustled their butts, getting all set and out of the hotel without anyone seeing them. Down the street the two agents waited on a corner. The sunrise became brighter as the early morning rays gave into the full rising of the sun.

A large black van in the distance was their ride as they watched and waited for it to stop right in front of them. A man hopped out the front coming around to greet them. He was olive skinned, black short cut hair and stubble along his chin; his clothes were a white cotton shirt and cotton trousers which in this weather was just the ticket. Giving them a grin he looked to his clipboard and nodded his head at whatever he saw.

"So you're the new stands in for the other guys. I hope you don't mind breaking a sweat. My names Antonis I'll be keeping an eye on you so if you got any questions and Matts not around come to me. Now hop in." Antonis greeted them

The women nodded their heads once and did they were told. As soon as the doors opened and they settled in spare seats they took a quick glance around at the others. Shizuma knew these men were used to hard work but there was something about them that seemed off. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but the haunted eyes she had seen before. Nagisa pressed herself a little closer to her side as if she sensed the uneasiness; Shizuma nudged her shoulder slightly making the redhead turn to face her rewarding her with a small smile of reassurance. The van ride lasted for a while and soon came to complete stop with the doors flung wide open by the familiar presence of the security men from the party. They left the van a row at a time, when everyone was off they led them to a small boat. Hopping on they sped away to one of the small islands off the mainland. Security was tight here as they seemed to swarm everywhere keeping a sharp eye on the arriving workers. Shizuma was already surveying the land as she walked her way across, Nagisa kept her eyes on the work load ahead all of it seemed to have arrived before hand.

"Alright guys you know what to do. Get to it!" A familiar voice shouted out ahead

The rest of the workers rushed to their tasks as Matt walked towards the two agents, Shizuma keeping herself a little in front of Nagisa, for her own peace of mind and the oncoming man.

"You'll be working at the sheltered section, sorting the packages onto the boat." Pointing to the crude made dock "don't worry it's very easy to pick up"

Looking at one another they knew this was going to be one hot day under the sun. And it proved to be just that. They quickly got into the rhythm of the work and soon the sweat was pouring off them. Just like Matt said the security kept eagle eyes on them with their fire arms on full display. Their first day on the job yielded little except for the basic layouts, guard changeovers and how things operated. Shizuma hoped that the next day they could find something concrete.

* * *

_Next Day_

A loud shrill alarm filled the air; every worker stopped what they were doing looking rather uneasy, making Shizuma have a bad feeling about what was to come. The overseers unslung their weapons from their shoulders, as they began to usher the workers to the dockside away from the transport ship. Hustled here and there Shizuma was pulled up short with Nagisa being pushed forward. In no time at all, the helpers were stationed in front of a makeshift platform, Shizuma who was at the back could see with ease, Nagisa on the other hand was at the front, slap bang in the middle. The etoile saw a group of men walk towards them, they were heavily armed and their formation was one of protection. Proved true two figures emerged from the middle, one dressed solely in black and the other in a smart tailored business suit. The Archive and The Shadow had come to pay a visit. Shizuma tried to look inconspicuous, a hard task for her since she stood out a lot with the long silvery mane and eye-catching looks. Being at the back certainly helped since she hid most of herself behind those in front, her fears worsened when her mind told her who was at the front.

The computer whiz pulled her hat down lower over her face when she recognised them. It was all she could do. Her red eyes were drawn to the commotion in the distance. Taking a look around she saw that everyone looked uncomfortable, knowing now this had happened before and it wasn't going to be pleasant. Matt stomped onto the stage calling for quiet, totally unnecessary since everyone was silent already, if a pin dropped you would hear it. Matt breathed in deep and announced the guests. The Archive took his time to get into position, making sure he had everyone's attention. He stopped dead centre with room to spare.

"I'll get right to the point as I have an important deadline to achieve. All of you work for me; you abide by my rules and my punishments. I cannot tolerate failures or traitors."

The agents had a really bad feeling where this was headed. Their suspicions were confirmed when a hooded restrained person, held tightly by two guards on either side dragging them onto the stage.

"This traitor you see here was found nosing around my database and later to be found working for some foreign agency." The Archive explained "His punishment serves his crime"

The escorting guards forced the prisoner to their knees, facing the crowd and in front of the mastermind. The figure was squirming held securely in a tight grip. Obviously he knew what was to come. Nagisa was close enough to hear his whimpers, her heartbeat raced and her breathing came in shorter spurts. She did not want to be here, her mind revisiting the past, her eyes couldn't tear themselves away. The Shadow now joined in, coming forward reaching into their jacket, pulling out a serrated blade, stopping just behind the kneeling captive.

"A traitor deserves no face or name. Nor do they warrant a quick death."

Shizuma restrained herself somehow, the idea of blowing her cover and rescuing the poor soul pounded at her. _'I can't risk the mission to save him…'_ The Shadow moved too quickly for any such ideas. With one hand The Shadow pulled back the cloaked man's head, baring the neck to the crowd, whilst in the other hand a serrated blade glinted menacingly. In a lightning move the blade struck. Nagisa felt something hit her face, moving in a dreamlike state, she raised her hand to touch it. Removing her hand she saw red liquid coating her fingertips, shaking a little her shocked mind told her it was blood. Shizuma flinched at the brutality of the kill. The neck was carved open for all to see, spraying the nearest with a fountain of blood. The man was unceremoniously dumped to the floor, as the assassin wiped clean their blade on the dying man's clothes before sheathing it. They were made to watch until the bitter didn't take very long, the blood gushed pretty quickly from the wound pooling around the head and the shakes of the man grew frantic and slower as time went on.

Without a word The Archive and his minion left with their honour guard, the workers still in the grip of the murder they were made to watch. Shizuma was itching to find her partner, knowing that Nagisa was at the front. Matt released his workers who all raced to get away; Shizuma was fighting against the crowd as she drove forward nearer the stage, all the time pushing and shoving to get on through. The etoile quickly found her. Her partner was standing very still, as Shizuma walked swiftly to her side. Shizuma gasped when saw Nagisa's face, it was splattered with blood yet it wasn't what concerned her most. Nagisa's eyes once filled with life now looked dull and lifeless. Reaching out to lay a hand on her shoulder, Shizuma didn't see a flicker of recognition at her being there. Slowly and gently she turned Nagisa away from the stage, getting her to walk slowly towards the shore.

It took a while; Nagisa was unresponsive to Shizuma making the latter more worried. _'How do I get her to snap out of it? I think it's best if I clean her up a little first and get rid of that blood. Then try and coax her to talk or at least do something. I honestly don't mind if she throws a tantrum at this point. Seeing that brings back memories for her, bad ones at that. I only hope that I can reach her.' _Shizuma got to the water's edge, gently getting Nagisa to sit down on the rocky ground, when she was settled she took a look around. Several workers had the same idea of coming to the shore; a few were scrubbing madly at their face and clothes. A youngish chap, who Shizuma recalled from before, Antonis, jogged up to her taking a quick glance of Nagisa. He handed over a small plastic dish, with a nod he was off looking over the other workers in the distance.

Shizuma went to the sea scooping up some water and sat down in front of her friend, pulling out a handkerchief from her pocket to soak up some of the salty water. Tenderly she cleaned off the blood on Nagisa's face, not saying a word the entire time. When she finished, she wrung out the once white handkerchief placing it beside her, and threw the water out behind her. Nagisa didn't budge an inch. Shizuma carefully took Nagisa's hands into her own, rubbing them soothingly trying to coax her out of her shock. Feeling slight tremors in the young woman's hands brought small relief to Shizuma; her partner was stirring at last.

"Nagisa, come on kitten" Shizuma whispered to her softly

Receiving no reply made her sigh in desperation, her eyes shut tightly for a minute as she calmed herself down thinking of ways she could rouse her partner. This was starting to scare her, with it came a fear she had never really felt before. _'What is this feeling? She's scaring me. I have to get her to snap out of it, any way possible. Shit! I really had to fall hard.'_ Shizuma opened her eyes her face set in determination as she realised what she had to do. A hard slap landed across Nagisa's cheek, marking it red and flinging her head to the side. After a while red wide hurtful eyes found their way to Shizuma, who inwardly cringed at her expression, hardened her resolved nonetheless. The hacker had finally awoken.

"What…what was that for?" Nagisa stumbled out looking confused as she held her cheek tenderly.

Shizuma roughly held Nagisa's arms tight, looking her straight into her eyes. She was angry and fear showed briefly in her yellow eyes, which Nagisa caught a glimpse of.

"Damn it Nagisa! Why do you continue to scare me like this? Why do you keep holding onto the past, all it does is shut you away" Shizuma ranted at her.

Shizuma felt tears forming in her eyes, not knowing that a few had already escaped down her face, as she looked to her partner. Nagisa was openly crying as she hung her head down low her body shook with silent sobs.

"You have to let it go Nagisa. Like you have to let go what happened today. We couldn't have saved him even if we knew, that's one of the hardest lessons we have to learn." Shizuma told her softly "It will eat you up if you let it. I don't want to see that happening to you. Please Nagisa it hurts me to see you like this"

Something inside her clicked when she said that. The emotions she had felt for the last few days all came together. The joy, pain and bliss made sense. Releasing her grip off her shoulders, she slowly cradled Nagisa's cheeks, lifting her head so she could see her face. Her stubborn partner tried to escape, not wanting her red flushed tear stained face to be seen. Shizuma wasn't having any of it. Firmly she made her raise her head, looking into the face of the woman who was fast becoming very dear to her. Tenderly and lovingly she began to wipe at her tears, in vain as it started another torrent of tears to cascade down her face.

"How? How do you just let it go afterwards?" Nagisa wept "No matter what I try it never works. I never should have come back; I seem to fail at everything."

"Stop it!" Shizuma harshly told her as she grabbed onto the distressed woman's shoulders "That's not true and you know it!"

Nagisa shook her head as she dismissed what the etoile told her. In her depressive state she sifted the gravel ground through her fingers, Shizuma watched her getting more vexed as time went on. _'How do I convince her that she isn't a failure? I never would have met her if she hadn't come back to work. I'm not good with the emotional talk, especially when it comes to speaking from my heart. The first time I wish Tamao was here, she understands her better than I do. Kind of makes me jealous in a way. I may have to remedy that when we finish this mission. I'll have to do my best.' _She roughly stood to her feet, startling Nagisa as she did so. She reached down grabbing Nagisa pulling her roughly to her feet. Nagisa barely had time to stutter her surprise when Shizuma started to drag her away to the shore. The etoile held on tight, her plan non-existent as she stopped just before the tide, pulling Nagisa to her side and released her.

"You think you're a failure, well here's a new flash Nagisa show me someone who isn't. Hell even I have failed at some things, what makes you so damn different from the rest of us." Shizuma bluntly told her "What matters is how we go on, how we learn from it. All so we don't let it happen again. The past is the past Nagisa; no one can change what has happened all we can do is to go forward."

It remained silent between the two for a while, Shizuma keeping her eyes firmly fixated on Nagisa, whilst the latter was gazing at the deep blue sea. Coming to the shoreline seemed to calm the young woman down some, her tears had finally stopped and her face seemed more peaceful. Shizuma waited until she was sure her friend had calmed down completely, when she saw the serene expression she sighed in relief. Letting her eyes drift onto the sea, soaking in as much calm before they were ordered back to work. The other workers were also taking a break on the little beach, Matt and Antonis were huddled together father back looking quite disturbed, nothing making Shizuma want to move from her position. Her eyes once again found themselves on the sparkling sea, the gentle waves lapping against the shore, from the corner of her eyes still keeping a gentle watch on her friend.

"Thank you"

So gently and softly spoken Shizuma nearly missed it, but the weight of emotions that hid within the words gave her no doubt. Whatever her hacker wanted to thank her for, she hadn't a clue on a specific thing and then again she didn't need one. Moving to Nagisa's side she pulled her into her arms, firmly holding onto her with arms coming to grasp onto her. Shizuma knew it would take a while for the memories to become duller and today was surely to leave a mark, but it will fade in time. _'At least she's responding now, finally getting past her own demons. I'll help her with that as I need it with mine. I wonder what she feels towards me, it hasn't been that long we've known each other I know, but I want to do this right. I need to thank Miyuki and Tamao too. I found my true partner now.' _

A loud deafening horn blew, making the two agents look up and around. Matt and Antonis were herding their workers back to work, with a few pats on the back looking real serious about it. Giving Nagisa a last look down removed herself from her grasp, though just as quickly took a hold of her hand, bringing a smile to their faces as they walked over to the two men. Shizuma was reluctant to let go of the hand but it needed to be done as Matt stopped them, with a nod to Antonis who sped away. The etoile saw how uncomfortable Matt really was, he scuffing his boots, wringing his hands and his darted nervously around him finally landing on them.

"If you need anything just ask me. I'll help you." Matt told them before jerking his head for them to keep moving.

Shizuma gave him a curt nod of her own as she herded Nagisa back towards the loading area, none of them said anything until they were sure people couldn't overhear them. That was to wait; their job demanded their attention not to mention a slight increase of guards that watched them.

* * *

"Shizuma" Nagisa whispered

Shizuma turned her head slightly towards Nagisa her eyes making a quick survey surrounding them. Happily noting that no one was close enough to overhear them and their lull in work left them to speak without being interrupted.

"Finally a rest stop" rolling her head around to work out the kinks

"Don't complain Shi, it doesn't suit you" Nagisa shook her head "What did you make of that earlier?"

"I think it's genuine, no one wants to be in that position. Looks out for his own." Trying to say it without drawing attention to it "you?"

"Same. We need to have a way inside and he knows it, plus he can get us the key for sure"

Shizuma gave her a confused glance, she had heard her right but wondering what kind of key they needed. Finally realising her own stupidity at her own question. Uniforms and the key card the security detail all used to get in, not to mention onto the boats that lead to the offshore harbour where the sub was. It was very risky especially for Matt, but he seemed determined earlier not to mention desperate. Shizuma nodded her head to Nagisa who in turn gave her a lopsided smile; the etoile knew that the hacker followed along the lines her own mind led her to. Involving Matt could work to their advantage and if things turned sour could get him killed a heartbeat.

"It's his choice Nagisa" Shizuma whispered to her

"I know Shi. I can't use my skills in getting them this time. I will let him know later when we get back home"

* * *

**AN: Just want to say a quick thanks to all you readers out there. Plus your reviews of course!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Time now was more crucial to the two agents after they witnessed the brutality of the previous day. Now with a mere day left before the conduits come online they were more stressed with getting onto that submarine. They had contacted Matt, through Nicia to be on the safe side, on what they needed. In all honesty it was a big challenge and risk to the contractor but with no other means to do so without alerting someone he was their best chance. At work they would carefully watch the detail noticing routes and call signs, not to mention in detecting who was in charge of them. You didn't want to tick off the wrong guy. When they finished and safely back in their hotel room Nagisa would immerse herself on her laptop, which Shizuma had no clue what she was doing even though the hacker had explained it to her a few times. There were just some things you couldn't learn. The etoile had taken on the role of scouting bays nearby and following some of the men for more information. Things were looking bleak; they still had no solid idea on what the Archive really wanted with the Virus. As her friend Yaya would have said '_wing it_' and that was precisely what she was going to have to do.

Shizuma and Nagisa had just finished with a meal at one of the local taverns nearby, having the urge to do something normal instead of fretting over plans and the inevitable. Walking side by side in a comfortable silence they were making their way back to their hotel, enjoying the peace whilst it lasted. Well someone didn't get the evening memo.

"You know I really enjoyed tonight. Certainly with the threat of an unknown tomorrow, with no clue what to expect or who we're really up against. It could have been a lot better." Nagisa listed a little sarcastically

Shizuma gave her a pout. The whole idea was to relax for the evening and try and not think of what's to come the next day. As soon as her partner said it scenarios flooded her mind. It sure wasn't a good ending she was hoping for.

"You're a pessimist kitten." Shizuma mumbled grouchily

"I'm a realist Shi." Nagisa retorted back a little frown marring her face

"You worry too damn much you know."

"Someone has to. You seem to go in guns blazing. You have any idea how it looks from my point of view. It sc…." She trailed off suddenly looking to the side to hide her face.

Shizuma kept her pace alongside her friend with a curious glint in her eyes as she wondered what she was about to say. To be perfectly honest it wasn't that hard to figure out, the etoile wanted to hear it from the hackers own lips. So she resorted to the technique she knew wouldn't fail her. Tease it out of her.

"What was that Nagisa? You didn't quite finish." Shizuma moved closer

"Nothing." The agent replied still shielding her face

"Awww. But I want to know. If you don't…."she purred real close to her ear

Nagisa jumped back with a start her face finally on full show. A deep blush had now risen covering her entire face. Shizuma marvelled how much the woman was blushing, even though all her other teases it never got this bad. It made her quite proud. She started to chuckle which made her partner a little bit mad. Unfortunately for Nagisa it only made the teasing woman chuckle harder.

"You are just plain mean" Nagisa grumbled as she started to pick up her pace

Shizuma still with a smile on her lips hurried up beside her partner, slinging a friendly arm around her shoulder "Now don't be like that kitten. We can't always plan these things out; sometimes we have to do it on the fly."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it" Nagisa replied leaning into the older woman's warmth.

Shizuma silently nodded her head letting the matter drop as they continued on their walk back to the hotel. No more need for words as they took what little comfort and even support they could.

Arriving back to their hotel not a soul was in sight, the revellers took to the livelier parts of the small town so all was relatively quiet. The hotel was dimly lit, the reception desk was empty and not a sound could be heard as the two agents entered. Through the lobby and a quick ride in the elevator the two women quickly arrived at their own room. Shizuma barely registered anything wrong at first, but quickly stopped Nagisa from entering the room. With a hand holding her arm tight accompanied by confusion Shizuma raised a finger to her lips for silence.

Leaning in closer she whispered "There is someone in there. Look at the floor"

Nagisa still with questions in her eyes looked to the floor where a single white slip of paper lay. It wasn't anything major or extravagant but it surely worked if the intruder wasn't looking. There was no need for much else. Nodding her head in response Nagisa slowly stepped back a little and to the side to let Shizuma have full access to get inside. Reaching to her waist Shizuma unclipped her gun and gripped the handle tightly.

"3…2…" Nagisa counted down though she suddenly stopped from a minor glare off of the etoile. Someone didn't find it all that appropriate for the situation.

Barging into a potential dangerous situation required only one thing. To do so in style. Shoving the door and quickly running inside with gun trained and ready Shizuma was prepared for anything. Quickly checking the room, balcony and bathroom all with gun raised. There was no one in sight. All that remained of someone being in the room were two large boxes placed on the redhead's bed, the owner of which had curious vibes sparking from her. Moving up alongside her Shizuma looked over them with a critical eye. Nothing seemed or screamed at anything suspicious.

"They look normal enough. How they got in here and by whom we won't know until we open it" Nagisa spoke up poking a box

"True enough. However I'll feel a lot more comfortable if I knew for certain that those boxes don't contain anything dangerous." Shizuma crossed her arms then turned her head slightly to Nagisa "Kitten you wouldn't have something gadget wise by any chance?"

Watching her attentively Shizuma saw her strike her thinking pose then a mad dash to her horde of gadgets rooting franticly amongst them. _'One day I'll ask for a gadget she doesn't have and drop dead from the shock. Surely she has got to NOT have something once in a while. It makes me look kinda bad. Oh here we go looks like she something in her bag of tricks after all.' _Shizuma watched as her partner trotted back to the bed with a small hand held gadget, which apart from looking a little bulky seemed quite unnoticeable. Like most of the equipment she brought along. Nagisa brought the device closer to the boxes moving it slowly and meticulously over them, until she had scanned both and as much as she could reach. A minute or two of tapping and shaking the thing Nagisa seemed to be pleased with whatever she had read, turning to the impatient etoile with a small smile.

"Well?" Shizuma asked feeling a little useless

"I can say for 99% certainty that the contents in the box are not bombs or any form of explosives. So it's all safe to open." Nagisa told her with a firm nod of head to finish her statement off.

"What's with the 1%?" Shizuma asked watching the facial expressions of the woman by her, pleased when she saw that a little twitch flickered across her face. "So something you don't know huh?"

"Can we open them now" Nagisa cut her off as she put down her gadget and reached for the nearest box.

Shizuma shook her head and helped her friend out with the package. It was securely wrapped with duct tape covering it quite a bit. Plus it was quite heavy so they left it where it had been set down. After much tugging, cussing and slicing the thing with scissors, the first box was open. Looking inside Shizuma couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.

"This has made my night" Nagisa fondly spoke

Inside was what they had been waiting patiently for the last few days. Worrying and being paranoid over the smallest things. This was their ticket into the Archives inner ring courtesy of their contact who had kept his word about getting them what they needed. And indeed he did. The two women in sync started to carefully remove each item placing it gently on the other bed; it took a while before they finish only to start on the next. With the next box came a note.

'_I kept my word to help you get into his security detail. I only hope this will be enough and unfortunately this is as much as I can do. I hope it also brings our business to an end. The contents you see have been recently acquired from actual members, so their information is authentic. They are also new so their faces haven't been linked to actual bodies. If you're thinking they can come in your way, think again. I know how this works so until I know for sure that He has been stopped I will be keeping them locked away. There are blueprints and some codes you will need amongst the mass; also you're shipping off time and who to report to. I wish you luck in your mission.' _

"He outdid himself with this" Nagisa praised openly.

Shizuma nodded her head in agreement. Looking over their new security attire with the tags and other pieces they needed, wondering how they were going to pull it off. Leaning over Nagisa's shoulder, Shizuma picked up the plan of the submarine trying to detail much of it to memory as she could. As she glanced over it, nothing about it seemed to stand out, which wasn't that surprising, since what He planned to do with the vessel. _'Knowing him it's bound to have extras inside not to mention his style at being grandiose. The conduits come online tomorrow we don't have time to scout the place out. We need to be on there and stop him using the Virus.' _Her face must have shown the turmoil her mind was in, as she felt two arms wrap around her waist with a mop of red hair leaning on her shoulder. Dropping the plans back onto the bed Shizuma returned the gesture.

"Don't worry so much Shi. You'll get wrinkles"

A deep chuckle rumbled from Shizuma, the worry along with the nerves faded away. All they could do now was to get some rest, for the new dawn would bring this mission to its head. For better or for worse.

* * *

It was still dark yet a faint glow on the horizon signalled the dawn wasn't too far off. A huge van pulled silently up to a kerb, a figure jumped out and hurriedly checked off two names for the ones that were patiently waiting. After a brief search of credentials they quickly got loaded up and in a flash they were off. The inside of the van was quiet, with only a nod of greeting from a rare few was given. The two new ones that had recently boarded stuck close together and watched in interest their surroundings. Their ride seemed familiar to that of their previous drives for work and it was revealed when they finally pulled to a stop. Exiting and standing to the side they marvelled that the beach was crowded of personnel and gear scattered all around. Three boats were seen being loaded and dispatched quickly only to return and do the same. The taller of the two took a few steps closer to the tide line yet nothing stood out in the darkest of the sea and new dawn.

"All right listen up!" a woman yelled fiercely above the loud rumble of chatter "next up to launch I want engineering squad 4 and security squad D. Make sure to register with your CO when you get aboard!"

A throng of people made their way to the sea where the boats were, shoving their own private gear on board then hauling themselves in. The two women made their own way down, a bag each and with slight help to the younger one they were well on their way. It was a quick trip, the bumpy ride and the sea spray certainly woke up any sleepy person.

"We're here" the silver haired spoke to her partner softly

The new rays of the sun were bright enough for all to see their destination. It wasn't much but the looming metal part they did see was enough to know it was a monster under the waves. Thick rope ladders already hung on the sides for them to climb up and large wooden pallet for the luggage. It was well organised. They were the second launch to disembark so the two agents had a chance to see how everything was set up. Up went the men then up hauled the bags. A line was then formed as they waited patiently for them to enter the beast.

"This is it." Nagisa mumbled pulling her cap lower over her face

"Whatever you do don't fall off the ladder. I'm not coming in to get you" Shizuma tried to lighten the mood. It worked as she got a small smile off her friend.

It was nice to find that manners had survived with their other passengers as ladies first were given first passage off. _'Why let us go first? I'll send Nagisa up first and I'll make sure nothing happens. You never know with these types. What's that guy's name we gotta report to…Donahue was it? I swear if I get a leering remark he'll end up in med bay in 3 seconds flat. I don't care if I get sent to the holding cell. I want this mission finished already!' _They carefully climbed their way up, Nagisa slipped for a few hair-raising seconds until luckily she got quickly back in control and continued on her way. Their bags were collected and the line was now theirs to start as they trumped down the metal steps and into the submarine. Their real mission now began.

"Name" a brisk woman asked them with clipboard in hand and a very bored face to go with it

"Charlie Farrow" Nagisa replied sharpish

"Squad?"

"D"

"2 floors down barrack 3." The woman ushered her way making a scrawl on her board

Shizuma watched as Nagisa walked off through the doors and around the corner knowing she would wait for her there. Her turn came.

"Name"

"Brooke Myers"

"Squad?"

"D"

"2 floors down barrack 3"

Shizuma gave her a curt nod and set off the same way Nagisa had done just minutes ago. She found her with bag clenched tightly in front of her leaning against the wall, looking around with wide eyes. Shizuma barely gave it a once over as walked purposely towards her partner who fell immediately in step as they walked slowly to their assigned rooms. They didn't talk as they were busy acquainting themselves with their new settings, dodging the occasional worker who was already working. Languages of various nationalities gave voice and surprised to find such a mix. They traipsed down the two floors marvelling all the time the sheer size of it all, it was certainly bigger than the average model and Shizuma guessed there were various added extras to go with it.

A hand snaked out and grabbed onto Nagisa's arm as she walked on past, making them come to a sudden halt. Shizuma barely restrained herself from knocking the guys block off, as she watched a bulky looking man come into full view. He gave Nagisa a once over letting his eyes slowly linger, Nagisa looked quite disgusted in his interest and Shizuma barely held it together.

"Remove it or lose it" Nagisa growled at her captor

He didn't let go instead he gave a small smirk full of ill intentions "Haven't I seen you somewhere before?"

"Trust me I would remember someone like you" Nagisa tried to yank her arm free

"Well I _certainly _remember you" giving a leering grin making Nagisa frown in repulsion "Must have been a few weeks back now. Back in England"

Shizuma grew tense at the words and she subtly noticed Nagisa did the same though she managed to keep it from showing. There was always the possibility that Nagisa would be recognised, far more so than herself, since the hackers last mission surrounded and kept her in close contact with the darker shades of deals. The outcome would consist either of persuasion, which in all honesty wasn't very likely since he seemed like an idiot, or a one way trip to Davey Jones locker. Neither looked at all promising. Shizuma moved closer without alerting the two scanning her eyes around at the quite silent corridor. However her full attention was soon focused on her partner.

"You have been busy. I'm impressed." Nagisa looked wide eyed as she said it soon turning into a smug grin "Unfortunately for you I haven't been in England in a while, now _let me go!"_ The last few words uttered low and deep.

The man let a twitch escape him as he uncurled his fingers and let the redhead go, who in turn crossed her arms and gave him a full out glare. Shizuma had never really saw this side of Nagisa before, true they had fought but never did she take it so far to get this reaction.

"Humph… you don't scare me that easily" he said crossing his arms not fooling anyone with his words "I guess being out of that whore house of a mansion you can finally spread your wings huh?" looking to Shizuma he cocked his head to the side "well almost"

Shizuma moved as if to knock his head into the wall but as fast as she was Nagisa was faster. In a blink of an eye the bulky guy was crying out in pain, he was kneeling on the floor with a bloody nose and his arm twisted painfully at his back as Nagisa tightened her hold. Shizuma couldn't quite believe it herself; the usually hesitant woman in no time at all, with a man that outweighed her heavily had pinned him down and was yanking on his arm. _'I don't know whether to be impressed or turned on. This is a new side to her. I'd best not butt in, this is her show. I'll just enjoy it' _

Nagisa leaned in to whisper harshly in his ear "Now you listen to me you piece of shit. You say anything like that again or whisper of any lies about us; I will personally make sure that you will never be intimate with a woman ever again."

With one last sharp twist and yelp of pain Nagisa let him go, walking over to stand by Shizuma. The beaten man slumped to the floor rolling his arm slightly to rid the pain, glowering at the women in front him. Shizuma didn't like the look so she gave him one of her own. Jumping to his feet hands clenched tightly he took one menacing step towards them. Being beaten by a slender woman had to hurt his pride.

"What's going on here?" a male voice bellowed out "damn it Cobb what have I warned you about?!"

Shizuma quickly assessed the new person, taking note of his military bearing, stern features which was contorted into irritation and anger at the minute and the uniform was one of the security men aboard rather than engineering or sub-mariner. Not to mention the fact that a gun holstered to your hip was a dead giveaway. They watched as he berated Cobb, seemingly as if he did this all the while and with a final glare their way fast tailed it out of there. Turning to face them Shizuma saw him assessing them, probably wondering if he berated the right person. Her sharp eyes focused on the name tag _'Donahue'_. Oh great meeting your superior officer this way wasn't going to go down very well.

"Thank you for intervening Sir." Shizuma said with a quick nod of her head "we were just about to put our bags in the barrack and report to you"

Donahue raised an eyebrow as he checked a list in a small notepad, which he fished out of one of many pockets. Nodding his head at what he saw he put it away and looked again at the two before him. Shizuma couldn't understand what she was supposed to say; usually you were given a warning for what happened and then orders right after. As if reading her thoughts Donahue put hands on his hips then addressed them both.

"I don't want to catch you two in that situation again. Cobb maybe a twat but he's bloody good at his job." Shrugging his shoulders at his own words "Get your gear stowed away, your job is to patrol the engineering bay and you'll get your orders directly from me. We have the announcement first though you'll hear on the intercom where to go."

With a brisk nod of his head he walked off leaving the two women alone for the time being. Shizuma leaned gently on Nagisa, who in turn rested her head on her shoulder. Not a word was said as in sync they started off towards their room.

* * *

In their two bunk room with barely any room to move, Nagisa was lying full out on her bed whilst Shizuma put what little clothes she brought in the small drawer available. They had rotated doing this after getting in each other's way it was becoming a nuisance. With a final sigh of relief Shizuma shut the drawer and turned to face her partner who looked like she was daydreaming, walked carefully over to sit down by her side. It wasn't a comfy thing to do since the beds were quite narrow but it didn't matter as such, Shizuma wanted to be next to her.

"Nagisa" Shizuma softly called to her only getting a hum in response "If Reede wants revenge, as we think he does, how is he going to do that from this far away?"

"I was looking into that" rolling onto her side to face the etoile "apparently when he designed the conduits the subject of the long trails on the seabed came up. He proposed the use of terminals to help long distance streaming. So the data jumps from one to the other making its way to the final destination. So whoever he wants revenge on and what he wants to gain…"

Shizuma saw the frown mar her face and reached out to clasp her hand which was given a gentle squeeze of appreciation. A loud hissing noise came from around them which Shizuma knew had to be the intercom. They never did sound right or clear. A monotone voice tested it then proceeded with their announcement.

"Can all mariners and engineers report to their allocated station. The security squads if not told otherwise please come to the main control room."

It was repeated twice more and outside the closed door footsteps were beginning to tread their way around. Shizuma drew in a deep breath and with a final squeeze to her partner's hand, disentangled herself and stood up with Nagisa following soon after. They were about to meet The Archive, right in the heart of his lair.

They were walking single file along the tight corridor, their eyes darting everywhere as they took in their surroundings. The interior was brightly lit with no chance of hiding around a corner to escape, even with all the light it still felt like a cold place with all the exposed tubing, grates with the occasional hissing of something that sounded eerie. It felt like a mausoleum with living corpses walking around. When you feel uneasy apparently your imagination goes into overdrive. Shizuma despite observing everything around her kept a wary eye on her partner as she walked behind her. It was an unconscious habit she had picked up, not that she minded at all. The redhead had a knack for attracting trouble or was it the other way around?

As they were nearing the destination, the heavy steps of military boots stomping all around brought home the amount of men were actually aboard. _'This is way more muscle than I thought. Though I don't know why I'm surprised. He's got he's own sub, designed and created by him, a mini sub and gotten hold of a dangerous tech Virus. Why not add a hundred men too?! Let's get this part over with.'_

They reached the control room. Like Shizuma had predicted The Archive surely knew how to do things in style. The room was huge, with one huge screen filling the section of wall in front, at the moment it showed the deep blue depths of the sea with navigation controls situated directly in front. Behind and around it was consoles and glass maps, ones like M had in the vessel from before, Shizuma remembered as her eyes quickly passed by the chair which could only be His. It was on a little raised platform with a swivel stand so he could see every part of the room. There was enough space to move freely among the stations and even with the extra people, like the security at the moment, it never did feel overcrowded. Shizuma glance upwards and saw an intricate design of pipes woven together like a tapestry. It looked way too fragile to withstand much.

A nudge to her side brought her out of her interior decorating mode, as Nagisa purposefully looked to one console which could only be one thing. Two security guards stood at each side all smartly dressed and each holding a machine gun, not being closer she couldn't identify the model, with another holstered to their hips. They looked like overkill. The console itself was merely just as curious, with an oval base and a small screen attached there were a few buttons and switches located on it. Nothing remarkable made it stand out. Nevertheless that was what they had come for. Nodding her head once to signal to her partner Shizuma was interrupted by the owner himself.

Reede walked in with a swagger and an arrogant smile plastered firmly on his face, he was wearing a black suit with the only colour being a deep crimson tie. Giving his creation a once over he walked swiftly over to his seat and gracefully sat down with one leg overlapping the other. _'Smarmy bastard.' _Shizuma immediately thought as she watched him. The Archive didn't arrive alone. Two high ranking officers accompanied him, walking to stand to his left hand side and a little to the rear. Yet all the etoile's focus was that of the third. It seemed a collective shiver went down the spines of all present at their approach, with some looking rather uncomfortable. The Shadow had cast its presence to all as they stood to his right. The door to the room was closed a clang of metal and finality. All were waiting for orders, all looked to the man seated all wondered what job they had really signed up for.

Making a show of it The Archive waited patiently for a few minutes letting the atmosphere set itself. Figuring it was long enough he rose from his chair and looked all around the room.

"Submerge us deep and set our course to the objective." The men jumped to his command as they set about their task.

The engine roared to new heights making a deep constant rumbling noise, certain lights blinked on around them, men gave and received orders with familiarity all of it going smoothly. The screen switched on showing their path as the water rushed fast past them, suddenly splitting in half showing a map with their goal marked and the path they would take and had took. Shizuma hated to admit it but she was certainly impressed.

"Put me on speaker so everyone can hear me" Reede ordered "This is The Archive speaking. Listen well to my words now. We have submerged and are now heading to the first step of my plans. Plans with which I will share with you now. Most of you here have been in the military, now cast aside or forced to leave the safe haven of your country. Where is the loyalty they have shown you? Some of you are mercenaries who wander from one sponsor to another. All are equal on this vessel of mine. We all travel under the same flag. My flag. We travel now to put a stop to the shadows that lurk and taint the governments which we used to serve. You know who I mean."

Reede paused to let his words sink in. Shizuma shot Nagisa a look from the corner of her eye, in return she saw the redhead finally realising where he was leading this war against and where the attack will first begin.

"These shadows lurk in every part of every_thing_. They storm through lives as if they are of no consequence. Our secrets pulled to the open, exposed are we to the eyes of our peers. They turn governments to their side of thinking; deals are made to their satisfaction and lives forever disrupted by their influence. No more. I will bring to light those that travel in the darkness. Starting with my own country. I do not want power over the countries, oh no, but no longer will I abide by the actions they take any longer."

Shizuma was trembling with suppressed rage and nerves. His words describing what he planned to do, made their jobs that much more dangerous. If he got hold of Astraea's plans too soon every agents cover, in all parts of the world would be in serious danger. His next words showed how much she was right.

"Don't you agree Agents" Reede smirked looking directly at them

Shizuma was pounced on far too quick to put up much of a fight or to register what was going on. Her arms were seized, her gun removed and quickly patted down, only to be pushed roughly to her knees. Her ears picked up the mutinous mutterings of the others surrounding them, her eyes darted everywhere sparing her partner a quick once over. Nagisa was held in roughly the same way looking paler than anything. _'What the hell just happened? How on earth did we get ousted? What is he up to?' _

"We're in range Sir" one of the drivers yelled

Shizuma and Nagisa was dragged to the front and once more forced to kneel. They watched the sight before them on the screen. Many lights lit the sea bed some still and others in motion. Reede moved closer to the defeated women with his right hand keeping close.

"Watch and witness the destruction of your so called government intelligence." Reede mocked them turning to face another he shouted "Signal them to start and when they return load them aboard immediately."

On the screen showed a close shot of a mini-sub humming its way past the camera position heading directly for the largest collection of lights. It was quite a fast thing as it soon disappeared from view.

"Three minutes to conduit terminal"

Shizuma strained against her captors only to be held tighter and firmer than before. It just wasn't a good day. Another thing she was worried about was her partners lack of resistance to the whole thing, shooting her a quick glare all she got was a small smile back. A twitch of the redheads arm, made the etoile's eyes focus on her hands, which in rested a small capsule that was blinking. A beacon. _'Smart girl'_

"Target reached preparing the incision, beginning download"

"What kind of fool do you take me for?" Reede asked in slight disbelief as he turned towards the agents "I've known right from the start that two agents were coming to foil my plans. I have well-placed sources, even in your halls of secrets. You should never leave a woman scorned. Especially one with bite."

Shizuma gave him a death glare, the best she could do from her locked position, hiding her worries underneath. _'He has insider knowledge? That explains and disturbs me.'_ Not wanting to look at his gloating face, the etoile looked around the control room recognising the Virus console immediately. It was flickering wildly with many a bleeps emitting from it. Other glances at the other panels in the room she knew that her situation was drastically worsening.

**It was now active. **

* * *

**A/N: Hey readers sorry to keep you waiting and more so for the actionless chapter. I had a little trouble with it. So please forgive me :( The sub I think if I was going to attck would be designed like _'The Seaquest'_ I think its a cool ship lol. **

**Well R/R please tell me what you think. Happy reading! :) **


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Astraea's mission room suddenly darkened as red alarm lights flashed on with a shrill siren blaring out of the speakers. All personnel were on high alert. Miyuki rushed forward looking around her panicked yet controlled room, waiting for the rundown of what was wrong.

"Red alert! All systems on maximum security level 5! Outside interference detected" shouted one of the men on the computers.

"Where are they hacking into?" Miyuki raised her voice to be heard

"Military intelligence database." A second later he called out again "Now Astraea's mainframe."

"Lock it down! Seal all entrances and trap them. No one gets in or out!" Momomi ordered harshly as she rushed over to the terminal to watch.

Miyuki and Kaname stayed still as they let the experts handle it as they continued to watch and wait. It didn't take too long for more alarms to be sounded as more of their database was being hacked into. Tamao was at her own terminal, keeping an eye on their agents in the field. Looking over to Miyuki with a grim expression.

"M!" when she got her bosses attention carried on "The Trojan Horse has been activated. The Archive wants in."

"How the bloody hell…" Kaname muttered

"That doesn't matter; I have my two top agents trying to stop him we have to hold out until then" Miyuki quickly told her brooking no arguments.

Turning to her attention quickly back onto her control room she raised her voice to be heard loud and clear over the shrill alarms.

"Everyone, I want all focus on blocking their attempts to access any of the database in our systems. Divert, trap or waylay the virus by any means. I want nothing to get out of this room. Get to it!"

There was a flurry of increased activity, along with an alarming increasing of the muttered curses floating around as they went about blocking the attempted hacking. Tamao got up from her console and steadily walked over to Miyuki, who was having a heated debate with the Military Officer. Catching the tail end of the conversation, Tamao joined in.

"I wouldn't worry too much General. The etoile and her partner are in place." Tamao clearly and calmly talked to them

"We got word from them?" Miyuki asked

"Yes Nagisa sent a quick signal of their location. I know how they are getting access so easily to us; they are among the connective conduits on the seabed."

Silence was the response after they heard that. The conduits supplied information to and from countries, by suppressed data streams. If one was to get close to one and hack in, which was very hard to do in any case not to mention that an alert would be sounded right away of any attempt, they could access any of the databases available. It was a daunting thought.

"It is time for us to take part in this. _'The Maiden_' is in close proximity I will alert it to their rough area" Kaname said in monotone as she set off to phone in the order.

Miyuki and Tamao looked at each other both seeing the worry and vexation in the oncoming hours. Everything relied strongly on the two agents now whatever the Military may do.

* * *

Shizuma woke to a world of pain and bright lights, which only seemed to make it worse. Closing her eyes once more, involuntary emitting a groan of pain and annoyance at her situation, Shizuma realised she was lying on a very cold floor. It wasn't very comfortable. Forcing her eyes open once more, ignoring the jabs of pain her skull was doing, she took a look where she was. She was in a small cell with old fashioned bars barring her way, in her small space there was a bunk bed and toilet, all the essential items. Still foggy Shizuma slowly got up leaning against the bed to support her weight only to finally collapse on it. _'God my head. It feels like a drill's going off. What hit me? I was in the control room and…Nagisa!?' _Shizuma jumped from her bed and sprinted to the bars, looking out to the room trying to spot a mop of red hair. It wasn't that hard as it was the only bright colour in the drab room. Nagisa looked no worse for wear as she standing by the barred doors looking somewhat grumpy. Her partner soon brightened a little when she spotted her, giving a little wave in response.

"You're awake at last" Nagisa murmured

"Are you all right? What happened? How long was I out?" Shizuma asked anxiously

The redhead's eyes widened in shock "You don't remember?" Shizuma shook her head "Typical. You got free of your handlers back in the control room, giving everyone near you something to remember you by. The Shadow clonked you on your head and threw the both of us in here. For the last ten minutes you've been asleep."

"How about you?" Shizuma wanting to know

"Me? I'm fine" Nagisa reassured her with a small genuine smile

The etoile looked at her situation. The cell block contained six cells with only the two being occupied, also by her guess was that there was a guard stationed outside. They had to get out of the cells and fast.

"Nagisa did they take our gadgets?" as she herself patted her pockets

"The obvious ones they did. A shame, I really liked some of them" pouting a little at her lost toys

"Terrific" she snarled softly "Can you get us out of here without alerting anyone?"

"Nope" Nagisa shook her head then looked at Shizuma with a glint in her eye "but you can"

Shizuma cocked her head to the side looking puzzled. She had no idea what Nagisa was getting at, since when did she have the gadget that Nagisa didn't? There wasn't time to gloat the fact, as she patted down her pockets once more not finding anything that could help. Nagisa was smiling all the time, enjoying the confusion Shizuma was in.

"Kitten are you joking with me or…" Shizuma warned her

"Don't give me that Shi. It's not my fault. You're the one who hid it on yourself. Try searching in your _assets_ since you wanted to keep it safe." Nagisa said with a huge smug smile on her face

Shizuma recalled the stuff now. The hacker had told her back at the apartment what it could do, so being far sighted, a rarity in itself, thought it a good thing to bring along and hid it good too. She was only disheartened not to have recollected before.

"It's a good thing you're hands are untied eh?" Nagisa teased her "Imagine asking the oh so lovely guard to help you out"

"Watch it Nagisa. I can always leave you in that cell" Shizuma threatened making no impact on her whatsoever.

Undoing her Kevlar vest Shizuma then loosened the top few buttons, turning around away from Nagisa whilst she did so, reaching in she took out a small bottle. Clasping it firmly in her hand she quickly redone her top and zipped up her vest did she face her partner once more. Who by the way, was supporting a huge pout and teary wide eyes, probably due to the fact she missed the show. Shizuma had to tear her eyes away from the way too cute scene in front of her, knowing it was so not the time for those kinds of thoughts. Nagisa tittered at her reaction.

"Nagisa how does this stuff work?" Shizuma asked looking at the bottle in her hands rather than her partner

"Okay here's what you have to do."

As Nagisa explained what she had to do Shizuma slowly followed her instructions, keeping an ear out for anyone approaching. It didn't take too long for the acid to melt the bars, hissing and spitting its way through. Loud enough for worry, but not enough for someone to come in and investigate. It was slow work but it did its job as the last bar gave way. Holding on tight to the bar as it fell, Shizuma gently lowered it to rest amongst the others with the now empty bottle as she crawled her way through her escape hatch.

Nagisa looked on with a small smile, bouncing a little on her toes itching to leave the cell herself. The etoile moved swiftly to the main door listening for anything or anyone, regrettably the door was too thick. Moving to stand in front of Nagisa, Shizuma looked at the lock more closely "I don't suppose you have anything to help you get out of there huh?"

"Nope. All my stuff is probably out there" jerking her head towards the exit "I guess we need to get someone's attention."

"Fancy playing a damsel in distress?" Shizuma asked her as she folded her arms

"I don't but I guess there's no other way" grimacing a little at the thought

Before either could prepare further however, a loud clinking of metal was heard beyond the door. Quickly the etoile ran to the door, making sure when the door was fully opened she would pass by unnoticed. A few seconds later the door grinded open, thankfully only wide enough for them to see Nagisa's cell and not the dismantled one. The guard took a few steps in with his gun, while strapped over one of his shoulders, hung loosely by his side. Shizuma waited quietly not daring to breathe as she watched him enter further into the cells. He turned his head towards her cell.

Shizuma launched her attack. Barrelling into the guard she wrenched the gun off him, punching him twice before he could blink. Dazed as he was, the guard still fought back with a swing of his fists and a sloppy foot swipe. Dodging the attempts Shizuma raised the gun. The man froze. Staring deep into his eyes, that lasted but a second yet seemed longer, Shizuma saw the fear, hopelessness and despair. Switching the gun around with the butt now facing him, she made sure he couldn't do much more, with one swing his lights were out.

Wasting no time Shizuma turned him on his back and began searching his pockets, looking for the master key, barely giving her partner a glance. Pulling out a card she raised it to Nagisa in question.

"That's it Shi. It's on the right hand side of the wall outside." Pointing to the exit

Shizuma raced outside and easily found what she was looking for. Swiping the card through the machine, turning the key to _'open'_, she unlocked Nagisa's cell. About to enter back in she heard her partner cry to wait. Intrigued she did what she was told and few moments later the redhead came out.

"Lock the doors Shi." Doing so Shizuma looked to Nagisa who in turn replied "When he wakes he'll have a hard time getting someone's attention."

"Good kitty." Earning her a growl from the woman "Now let's gets our things and go. We need to hurry"

* * *

Shizuma peeked around a corner, quickly retreating pulling a disgruntled partner with her. Hiding around a corner they waited for the footsteps to fade before moving on. They had been dodging personnel for a few floors now and Shizuma was becoming irritated by the delay. _'How long is this going to take? For all I know they've already gotten into our systems and done who knows what with the info. We need a diversion to get rid of some of the heat on us. Luckily it's not so far now.'_ Just as she was about to move the etoile was pulled roughly back, her captor was looking quite vexed.

"Shi if you don't tell me this instant where we're going so help me" Nagisa threatened

"Calm down Nagisa. We're heading to the torpedo room." Her partner now went from vexed to curious "Kitten we need help from Astraea. That beacon of yours will they pick it up on a ship?"

"If they have the right equipment sure." Nodding her head to confirm it "but who will be watching?"

"If I know anything is that when things are looking this grim, the military tends to step in and _help_. They would, hopefully, already have sent a ship when you first activated it back in the control room."

Shizuma watched as Nagisa mulled it all over in her head, the upset expression was replaced by Shizuma's second favourite, the eager let's get to it face. With a nod from the etoile along with a small smile, they set off once more along the corridors.

Their destination was soon in sight, there was hardly anyone walking the hall as they crept on. Shizuma hurriedly increased her pace, leaving Nagisa trailing a few steps behind, her mind focused she didn't see what happened next. Nagisa about to follow her partner was roughly grabbed and forcefully slammed into the wall. A large calloused hand quickly sealed her mouth. Being held tightly to the wall Nagisa still squirmed and fought against her captor, who by a second glance, confirmed it was the guy from before. Cobb had made a reappearance and this time, no officer would tell him to back off.

"Well look what I have here" he sarcastically muttered "Shouldn't you be locked up?"

Nagisa flung her head to the side removing his hand on her mouth "Let go of me!"

"Now why would I do that? Hmm?"

"I warned you" Nagisa growled

She brought her knee up full force into his groin causing him to flinch and cry out in pain. Learning from her mistake last time, she quickly gave him a right hook which knocked him to his knees. Nagisa stood over him looking fierce; with both hands clenched tightly she swung her last blow. Cobb was soundly put to sleep.

"That'll teach you" she grunted in satisfaction

Not leaving him where he was Nagisa dragged him back towards a janitor's style room she had passed earlier. Not caring if the floor was scraping his face or the massive bump he took while she was lugging him inside. Actually she was grinning evilly all the time. The room was filled with the quick fix style, meaning the heavy duty tape, flexi wires, tubing and all other odds and ends. Perfect really for all those wanting to tie someone up and gag them. This is exactly what Nagisa did after she disarmed him. A few minutes later Cobb looked like an animal offering with hands tied behind his back, legs bent and feet taped so he was literally in a kneeling state. There was tape around his mouth and for a final touch, which suited Nagisa personality, a sign was hung around his neck with the words _'Live and let die'._

With a giggle she rushed out the room to find her partner.

* * *

Earlier on Shizuma had rushed towards the Torpedo room, not noticing her partner's absence, as she quickly did a check of the room. There were two mariners and not a guard could she see. Tiptoeing inside she crept silently forwards picking up a wrench as she went by. With two thwacks they went down in a crumpled heap.

"There has to be a guard patrolling around this section so split up and look for him" Shizuma whispered to the unknown empty space behind her

Not hearing an answer she spun around to find Nagisa not there. Looking around she found no sign of her, Shizuma was becoming worried. _'She was behind me a minute ago. How can I lose that girl in short a time? Please tell me she hasn't gotten into trouble.' _Before Shizuma could head back out someone came in. It wasn't her partner. Unexpectedly the man rushed at her barrelling into Shizuma before she could move. Winded and grimacing a bit at the blow she barely managed to dodge the punch aimed for her. The two squared off with the etoile getting into her fighting stance as she took in the measure of her opponent. It was obvious from the start he had some knowledge of hand to hand, yet Shizuma guessed he relied more on his strength than his speed or balance. Not that it helped much, but it certainly gave her some advantages she could exploit.

He advanced a few steps keeping his guard up, delivering two quick jabs which Shizuma avoided effortlessly. The two fighters exchanged punches and kick each testing the other one out. Shizuma knew she didn't have the time for this kind of fight, in this situation it was fine to spring out the unfair turnabout. The guy lunged at her once more swinging his arm back for a low blow. With hardly enough room to dodge Shizuma turned her body to the side and brought out her insurance policy. The trusty wrench. With a sharp swing she swung it hard on his head and in a flash he was out cold. The etoile threw the wrench on the floor as she quickly started to drag the guy somewhere where he wouldn't be seen so quickly.

_'Now that's done with. Now to find Kitten. Why is she always running off?' _ Before Shizuma could turn around she felt a presence come behind her. Moving quickly she spun round and had the prey backed against the wall in a tight hold. It all happened so fast she missed the mop of red hair.

"Shizuma relax its only me" Nagisa squeaked

The etoile released her and took a few steps back as she watched her partner rub her shoulder from the iron grip she was just held in.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Shizuma demanded from her friend, with her arms crossed and a deep scowl on her face

"I was tying up loose ends. Seems like you didn't need any help" as she took in the bodies lying on the ground

"That's not the point"

"We need something to attach this to" Nagisa told her holding up the beacon cutting her partners rant off

Before Shizuma could reply the security guy she had knocked out earlier came stumbling towards them. It was a poor attempt at a charge, but considering the etoile knocked him into next week it was pretty impressive. Shizuma stuck her foot out, then as he fell to the floor quickly restrained him with his arms behind his back and held tightly. Shizuma looked from the man, to the beacon then to the torpedo tube. A plan was quickly forming and since time was scarce it was good as any.

"You want something to attach it to Nagisa? Here we go" Shizuma hauled the dazed man to his feet

"You can't be serious" Nagisa looked aghast at her friend as she put two and two together

Shizuma shrugged her shoulders and began hustling the guy into the tightly compact space. It was a little difficult on her own as Nagisa refused to help her. _'Her and her uptight ideals.' _The guy didn't go in there willingly as arms and legs were thrashing wildly. Who could blame him? A quick punch to the gut soon quieted him down as the etoile finally lugged his weight into the tube, with the beacon now attached securely inside one of his pockets. Looking pleased Shizuma glanced at Nagisa who gave her a sour look, which quickly took the smile off her own lips.

"I can't believe I'm letting you do this" Nagisa stunned at what she was about to do

"We need someone to locate our position. We can't shoot a real torpedo too dangerous. He's good enough." not looking a bit sorry about firing a man out of the sub.

"It's a human being Shi!" still having a moral dilemma

"Nagisa we are running out of time. Shoot the damn thing!" Shizuma demanded

Nagisa with a huff and a glare started the sequence for the firing code. One turn of a key and a push of a button it was all ready. Shizuma watched feeling a little ashamed at using this method, however felt justified that it needed to be done. _'We're a resilient bunch. Surely firing someone out of a torpedo tube isn't going to kill them. Right?' _ The etoile watched as her partner finished and stepped away from the console. Her face stoic but determined. Without any words Shizuma knew what needed to be done. She stepped forward and with the only light flashing, she pressed the button.

A huge roar filled the room as the torpedo fired. Seconds ticked by as the silence once more settled around them. Shizuma looked to Nagisa in concern, who was busy looking at a little tablet. Meeting her eyes she gave a shrug as she wondered herself what went wrong. Their plan was rewarded when a second later alarm bells rang out erratically. Someone upstairs had noticed.

"Time to go" Shizuma called out as she jogged past Nagisa who quickly followed on after her.

* * *

**AN: I am so sorry about taking so long to update this story! Please forgive me! Everything has been a little hectic recently, but I am writing the last few chapters, and hopefully all going well I will update soon. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

The two agents raced their way along the corridors dodging the security and blending in when it was the normal detail. Shizuma heard the alarms; even so she knew it wasn't enough of a distraction. She came to a complete stop at the foot of the stairs, whilst Nagisa jumped up two at a time. The etoile instead of looking up turned her gaze downwards to the lower level as her mind whirled with different scenarios. _'The beacon wasn't enough, there's hardly anyone out of place. This ship needs to be taken down, who knows how long before help arrives. We have to disable or cripple it so we have a chance.' _ So engrossed with ideas she barely noticed the red head had come back down to meet her and was now standing by her side with a concerned look on her face. Feeling a slight tug on her sleeve Shizuma whipped her head around to focus on her concerned partner.

"Shizuma? Is everything all right?"

Shizuma paused before replying "This ship needs to be stopped. The beacon was only a single step. We need to cripple this ship somehow before he turns his sights to his next target. Who knows when help will come."

She didn't have to say anymore as her partner nodded her head. Shizuma beckoned with her head as she started to walk down to the next level, with her partner following behind her. As with all of the etoile's plans there was some small flaw and with the flaw came a comment from a certain red head that would always seem to deflate the etoile. This was exactly what happened.

"Shi. Don't get me wrong I get the basic plan. The engine room is down here. I just have one little teeny point. How do we disable the engines?"

Shizuma stopped suddenly in her tracks as the hacker walked right into her back. With a few mutterings and a small glare sent her way Nagisa saw the thoughtful look on her partners face and mentally did a groan. The etoile herself knew it was coming. She honestly did. _'I knew that was coming. Why does she always have to do that? Well I guess we don't have much choice here, we'll have to see when we get there. The old plan of winging it will have to do' _

"Come on kitten, we don't have a lot of time" Shizuma then took off at a run

"I'm guessing were winging it then" Nagisa muttered to her herself as she quickly ran off after her partner.

The engine room wasn't at all what Shizuma imagined it to be. It was huge, with conduits running it all directions, valves everywhere along with pressure gages and monitors everywhere. The humming of the engine was louder in here making the etoile wonder how anyone could work in this space for long. It looked like ordered chaos. Men and women were checking it over adjusting it slightly if needed to, as Shizuma tried to think of how they were going to do this.

"Kitten we'll have to have a look around and try and come up with some sort of plan." Shizuma whispered to Nagisa as they both walked in as if they were meant to be there

Shizuma tried to understand how it all worked as she looked around. How anyone could tell what valve to turn if there were six of the same size and colour was beyond her. They weren't even marked. Well that was before she spotted something at the farther end of the room. Moving quickly she stood in front if the glass covered cage. She still couldn't figure if this was a good thing or not. Since when did the mission turn in her favour? Behind the locked cage written in bold electrifying colours were the words **'Emergency Engine Shutdown'**with a few valves switches underneath. _'This can't be right. It's just too easy for me to find something like this. Since when did anything go right for me on this mission? I must say the only good thing has been Nagisa. Speaking of which where did that Kitten sneak off to?' _Turning around she saw her partner making her way towards her, beckoning her over Nagisa picked up her pace and soon stood by her side.

"Wow. When did good luck come your way Shi?" as she saw what got her partners attention.

"Hey" Shizuma indignantly huffed

"It's true. Since when has anything gone right for us?"

Shizuma uncrossed her arms she previously folded and motioned towards the cage "Well at least we have a way to stop this tub. Go and find a fire alarm or something and pull it, more distraction that will help us."

Nagisa nodded her head and quickly took off in search of her target. Shizuma turned back to the lock; pulling out her lock picks case as she did so. Selecting the right one, with a quick glance around she waited for the alarms that hopefully would come. They blared out the speakers making her flinch in surprise. There was a mad scramble for people as shouts were made with people scurried about; none of this was noticed as Shizuma was focused on opening the lock. It didn't take too long as the lock sprung open and Shizuma began the shutdown sequence. Turning the valve to the right as far as it would go, twisting a mini to the left, flicking a few switches as she watched the gage decrease all the while. It was done and immediately she felt the droning stop. Not waiting for anyone to notice her she ran out mingling in with others, to spot her partner up ahead. Ducking and weaving her way through the huddle Shizuma made her way to Nagisa's side and they both sprinted off to the stairs.

Their side trip and alarms were working wonders on the personnel as no one seemed to really know what to do. The best part was that no one recognised them. They were on the right floor as they jogged their way along. Shizuma was keeping an eye out around her, making adjustments when she saw men with guns. Nagisa was following her with one eye in front and the other on her small hand held device. It amazed Shizuma that the girl can be clumsy with two eyes in front, but with something like she had now was as graceful as a swan. Things were about to heat up.

A bright white flash made the two agents stop and squint. The light was so intense that it took a while for it to return. Shizuma kept her hand on her gun, yet no attack came. Blinking a little she saw the bare outline of the metal walls and in its centre was a deep shadow. A small growl to her right confirmed her dread. The Shadow had appeared. They stood directly in their path, a small open space where the corridor became rounder and an untended arena.

Shizuma felt more than saw Nagisa as she threw something to the left of their obstacle, in an instant it sprung flames shooting high and wide. The Shadow dodged the first strike leaving the way clear. The etoile tiptoed her way across with Nagisa sticking close. It wasn't that simple. The Shadow threw shuriken in their way, as the two barely dodged their razors edge, as they stuck in the wall with the force of the throw. _'Oh great! They will never let us go through easy. It will take too much time. There's only one thing to do'_ However someone beat her to it.

"Go Shizuma! I got this one" Nagisa urged her to go, keeping her eyes locked firmly on the attacker.

Shizuma knew Nagisa can get stubborn sometimes, too much for own good, yet she doubted her skill at facing this one. The Shadow was a tough opponent. Her feelings she knew was getting the better of her. So to prevent anything silly she was about to say, Shizuma pulled Nagisa into her arms, kissing her firmly on the lips. She left as quickly as she could, Shizuma couldn't stay or watch anymore, her own quarry needed to be hunted down. Nagisa still a little startled by the sudden kiss, pulled herself together; turning to face the black clothed figure head on, pulling out two batons from her waistband, flicking them out to their full length. The Shadow themselves prepared, as two serrated blades came into view. A standoff ensued as each waited for the other to make their move.

As if a signal went off, both started their attack in sync, clashing weapon against weapon in a deadly dance. The Shadow was quick and graceful on her feet, moving in flawless harmony, catching Nagisa unawares multiple times, landing small cuts to her arms and chest. Blocking and parrying the two blades Nagisa gained an insight on the skill The Shadow displayed. A part of her knew she was no match for the trained assassin, yet she also realised that there was no one else that could keep them busy and distracted long enough.

A heavy forceful kick to her lower abdomen caught the redhead unawares, throwing her back roughly against the wall. Doubled over in pain and breathlessness, Nagisa watched as The Shadow drew nearer. She only had one shot in escaping this trap, the timing was crucial. Holding her batons close to her chest, her hands only resting on the padded material, Nagisa clicked the edge in readiness. Red eyes travelled up to face her opponent who had stopped a few steps away. A shiny glint was all the warning Nagisa needed. Barrelling forward, her back shoulder taking the brunt of the strike, Nagisa swung her own batons right into their chest. A low yelp of pain made The Shadow stumble back a few paces giving Nagisa the edge she needed. Wasting no time she went on the attack. Her hits made more dangerous due to the electric current now running through her weapons. _'I can't keep this up for much longer. I need a plan!' _

Nagisa's eyes scanned the room looking quickly for anything she could use. Deflecting the strikes and delivering her own, she noticed something that could possibly use to her advantage. Swiftly and with force the agent kicked them hard flinging them back into the wall, giving her much needed time. Nagisa ran to the corner where a small ledge was jutting out, springing on to that she launched onto the roof where exposed cables ran along. Grabbing a hold of the small supports she tugged hard at the cables, they were holding firm, bracing herself she gave one last powerful tug. Ones that were pocketed into the room were torn from their sockets, sparkling with electricity they now hung loosely and dangerously low in the small alcove. The agent dropped to the floor only to be met with pain. The Shadow lunged at her bringing her roughly to the ground. Nagisa was struck once flinging her head to the side a dribble of blood leaked out her mouth. Just about to strike the agent a second time, Nagisa moved her head at the last possible second, hearing a grunt of pain coming from the cloaked figure.

It was her turn now. She drove one of her batons into their stomach flinging them back, giving her much needed to room to stand up. Before the assassin could charge, Nagisa hit them twice more with powerful blows forcing The Shadow back towards the hanging cables. With one last swing of her baton Nagisa forced The Shadow right where she wanted them. Without missing a beat the agent grabbed one of the cables, carefully avoiding the exposed wires, whilst she quickly positioned one of her batons near the skin of the huffing figure. She drove the cable onto the baton. The result was instantaneous. An ear-piercing scream of pain split the air as the once terrifying right hand figure was now huddled and twitching on the ground as Nagisa removed the cables.

"I'm not going to kill you. That would make me like you. But I'll leave you with a little reminder of what happened here"

Nagisa gingerly picked up one of the fallen serrated blades and kneeled down by their side. Pausing as if in two minds about her choice, Nagisa plunged the knife deeply into their side eliciting another pain filled screech.

"Better hope I never run onto you again" Nagisa warned her before she sprinted off down the corridors, knowing where she would find her partner.

* * *

Shizuma rushed through the corridors, her boots clicked on the metal grate underneath whilst her mind raced as fast as she ran. She knew exactly where to find her target; The Archive would be on the observation deck or the control room if you wanted to be specific, the top most floor of the entire submarine. The new design he had implemented on the sub allowed him full view both inside and out. _'I hope there aren't many guards there with him. His right hand is kept busy…Nagisa. Please let her be all right. I want to be with her after all this is through. No more lies like last time.' _Shizuma careened around the corner screeching to a sudden halt.

"Not good" she whined softly

Four guards turned to face the runner, showing their surprise when they saw her. Still dressed in the security garb herself, the etoile tried to play it off. Straightening her jacket she walked a few steps towards them.

"Urgent message. I need his authorisation codes and signature." Trying to sound in the know

"Who sent you?" one of them asked

Looking at the four as they fingered their guns, with their stance changing from casual to aggressive. The etoile knew her stupid ploy had failed and braced herself for the oncoming fight. Her luck took a dramatic whole submarine rocked dangerously, red alerts were being shouted down the intercoms and the once bright lights turned to red and near darkness. They were being bombarded. Shizuma toppled sideways into the wall as the first shockwave hit, the guards in front did the same. Using it to her advantage she lunged. Bashing one hard over the head driving to him to their knees, she dodged a blow from another swiping a low leg swipe to the third as she did so. Dodging and weaving in an intricate dance she barely kept up as the four men closed in.

Before Shizuma realised she was grabbed tightly from behind, pinning her arms to the side in a bear grip earning the three men she could see smirks of malicious intent. One of the men took a step forward cracking his knuckles. Shizuma knew what was coming. A heavy punch knocked all the air from her longs with a lasting pain of the reminder. Shizuma was still held tightly in the grip as the intercom blared into life making them pause.

"All hands abandon ship. I repeat all hands to abandon ship. Sectors two and five are locked down."

Their pause was all Shizuma needed along with the help of gigantic shockwave. It knocked them literally off their feet. As the cables burst, lights went out and alarms shriller than before. The etoile landed in a somewhat soft landing as the douchebag underneath took the brunt of it. Swiftly getting to her feet something heavy rolled into her foot making her look down and in a flash it was in her hands. Without wasting a single second she went from guard to guard, clobbering them into unconsciousness with the dented fire extinguisher making it easy work. As the last one fell to the floor she chucked the extinguisher away, much dented than it previously was, wiping her hands on her jeans as she stepped forward.

"I guess you mother never told you to not hit women. We're a bitch for revenge" as she stepped past them and in to the control room.

The room was just as she remembered it from her earlier visit. However the lights were now red making it almost eerie, the alarms screeched out the speakers and the most important thing was that there were only about four other dedicated people left in the room. Her target was nowhere to be seen. Shizuma cautiously took a few more steps in, her eyes scanning the room for possible threats whilst some part of her made notes of handy strategic spots. Shizuma's eyes widened slightly. The etoile had found her target. Reede in a now dishevelled suit and wild hair was hunched over a console tapping furiously away. His appearance of calm and superiority were certainly lacking. Knowing she had some small element of surprise she quickly crept over to one of the people still at their posts, un-holstering her gun as she quickly put the barrel to their head.

"Make a move or sound and I put a bullet in you." Shizuma whispered harshly and received a vigorous nod of compliance "send out an SOS and an alert of abandoning ship to the vessel above."

Shizuma watched as a small grimace of dislike appeared on their face nevertheless doing as they were told. The etoile never took her eyes off her captive and with the final click of a button and a nod of their head all was done. Nudging her up with gun still trained, Shizuma ushered her so she could view the whole room, her number one target still having no clue she was there.

"Get to the escape launches and take your buddies along with you. If you notice the fallen idiots outside help them or not I don't really care" Shizuma flicked her gun to the door she came in from.

It was then that The Archive finally turned around and gaze upon his fleeing subordinates looking somewhat surprised, as he finally caught sight of her. Shizuma had to admit that he hid his shock surprisingly well, yet still kind of pissed that he didn't really think her much of a threat. Shizuma took a few steps in his direction never taking her eyes off him as he did the same. Despite the alarms and the echoing rumble of the stressed out vessel it was calm in the control room with the added bleeps and whistles coming from various consoles.

"I should have just killed you in the control room as my ally proposed." Reede sighed

"That's your loss. I'm here for The Trojan Horse; you can either step aside and surrender or be a cliché villain and die in trying."

"Why do you fight me?" Reede asked incredulity "I do this for you too, to free you from the lies you wrap around yourself surely you must tire of it all"

Shizuma quirked an eyebrow as she watched him intently and in disbelief. _'Did he really just ask me that?!' _

"How can such a smart man be so dumb? Sure we wrap ourselves in lies and shadows but that's the way the world is now. We dive into the depths of blood to find and stop those before they strike. If I had the opportunity to choose this life again, I would do so willingly. I serve my country all you do is serve yourself." Shizuma replied with feeling trying to find the words that expressed what she felt

Reede kept a stoic face as she spoke his hand twitching slightly. Shizuma aimed her gun at him getting ready for whatever he would throw at her, knowing he would never come quietly. She was right. He drove his hand into his pockets and dodged the fire from the etoile's gun.

The agent didn't have time to aim again as she flew to the floor and rolled behind a counter, just barely missing a red laser which cut through the floor where she had just stood mere seconds ago. Shizuma heard the distinct hum of the laser, moving behind her cover dashing to the side as it missed her by an inch. Using the time granted she searched for Reede. Instead she got fired on. Luckily they all missed as once more she took cover returning fire of her own. She was kept on her toes as yet more laser fire was being directed at her. Knowing she couldn't keep dodging bullets and lasers she had to find her target and fast. A glimpse of a black suit alerted her as it moved up on the raised platform before she lost sight of him. Crouching down she sped in the direction not encountering anything as she did so. _'What is he up to? Biding his time? Duh! I just have to get him to the open somehow or better yet get that damn switch off him. How dare he use laser tech on me' _

Still in a crouch Shizuma crept up the few steps peeking around the console to see a still figure with switch in hand looking like a statue. Slowly and quietly she raised her gun and fired. A loud scream of pain echoed through the room as Reede clutched his hand to his chest, blood running from it like a river. The switch now lay on the floor. Shizuma dove at the switch her fingers barely grasped it before a heavy foot collided with her had knocking it further away. A fist knocked her further back as Shizuma tumbled away from any further physical strikes. Forcing herself to her feet she noticed him with the submachine gun held awkwardly in her direction as he fumbled to get it steady. Shizuma lunged. Knocking the gun from his hands, kicking it away from them she landed two powerful punches disorientating him and not to mention a crooked nose.

**KABOOM!**

The whole room shuddered with the impact of the explosion as the room now looked like one big metal scrapyard. Some consoles were thrown clear across the room whilst others exploded with the amount of pressure they had just received. Leaks were sprouting everywhere some were the size of sprinklers others gushing forth seawater. It was a time bomb in itself. A grating sound penetrated the room as metal was shoved around and a figure emerged, a bit beaten up and breathless with a few scrapes scattered on her person otherwise she looked fine. The etoile looked around eyeing the Virus console with some distaste as it sat proudly displayed. _'Shit. Just my luck.'_ A growl came from behind making her whirl around in response, her gun lost somewhere beneath the rubble. A blood coated man stood up with blood still from his holey hand and now a stream dribbled down the side of his face.

"You will pay for this. Maybe not today but you will one day. This I promise." Reede growled out

A low droning hum made the two occupants wary. With the last explosion any number of weapons or back up plans could have been damaged. Most likely the dangerous ones in Shizuma's experience. The Archive not waiting any longer charged at the woman, throwing wild punches with abandonment. Knowing the Archive had not much skill his anger made his fighting work for him. Shizuma dodged and delivered her own as she tried to get through his defences. The humming had gotten louder. Shizuma was swept of her feet as Reede tackled her to the ground pinning her under him. The humming stopped. Reede was about to deliver some serious hurt, noticed the look of fear in her eyes as he took his eyes off her to see. The laser system had come back on; multiple streams of red light were streaming across the room cutting through anything in their path.

In that one second Reede took to see Shizuma kneed him and shoved him off her rolling to her feet as she took in her options. Shizuma was more concerned of the rays than the man just getting to his feet. The reason soon became clear why. Reede was barely on his feet his eyes had a glazed look as he struggled to focus. Shizuma decided this had to end forced him backwards with a solid kick throwing him clear in the path of the lasers. One went through his ankle making him scream in agony and another only just nicked him on his chest making the flesh burn and swell. The last laser ended his misery as it seared his head clear off.

Shizuma was heavily panting, not being able to tear her eyes away from the gruesome scene before her. Her back towards the exit she failed to notice the door swish open filling the room with noise from the outside. Her focus was still on the red lights still cutting their way across the room. The humming of power returned and with it the lasers flared brightly and disappeared. The etoile had won. The price was the scene in front of her. Shizuma felt someone next to her as she whirled around still in her battle mode to be face with an endearing sight. The pump of adrenaline didn't allow her to do much of anything as she stood stock still exhausted both mentally and physically. Somewhere in the back of her mind was telling her there was some work left to do.

* * *

**AN: Hey readers sorry for the wait. I had real trouble writing this one as action scenes are not my strongest suit so I hope you like this. Nearly the end now and I'll post the chapters quickly as I've finished writing them all :) One a day if you're lucky lol**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

"At least he went down in style" Nagisa shook herself off then ran towards the Virus console

Shizuma watched her in a daze, her mind and body still pumped from the recent fight as she tried to calm herself down. Barely did she hear the shrill alarms change into a droning steady rhythm, overlapping it was a monotonous voice speaking before the alarms came on once more. Slowly her mind filtered it all and her awareness came back as the etoile scanned her surroundings. Shizuma checked herself over for any serious wounds, thankfully only knocks and scratches she could tell, before walking over to Nagisa. Her partner was tapping furiously away, her face set into a concentrated frown as all her energy focused on stopping the machine.

Before Shizuma could take one more step Nagisa slammed a button down and raced over to her, grabbed her arm in a vice grip then pulled her away behind her. Not wanting to fall down or her arm be pulled off Shizuma followed her partner closely and quickly. It was safe to say the etoile was confused as they left the obs deck and ran down the corridors.

Shizuma and Nagisa raced down the corridors the alarms filled the air and the constant shaking of metal grinding against its restraints. Shizuma screeched to a halt nearly barrelling into Nagisa, the young woman had stopped so suddenly. Peering around her Shizuma couldn't see why, there was no one in front or any obstacles that she could see. Nagisa walked over to the side, there was something on the floor which the etoile couldn't see.

"Nagisa?" Shizuma asked

Nagisa turned to face her, a puzzled and disturbed look on her face, but then yellow eyes fell on what was in her hands. A bloody serrated knife held gingerly. Her eyes widened when she put the two pieces together, admitting she was wrong about how her partner could handle herself.

"Is that what I think it is?" Shizuma pointed to the knife

"Yes. Thing is Shi I remember it being _in_ The Shadow rather than on the floor. Where are they?" Looking really uncomfortable about it

"I don't really care kitten; they got some of what's coming to them and nicely delivered too. Now let's get out of here" Shizuma urged her.

* * *

"Outside interference has been rerouted. Searching for target." One yelled out into the still darkened control room.

Everyone muffled their curses as they waited for more information. Miyuki and Tamao stood ready and waiting, whilst Momomi still lingered by her console giving the poor man more unsettling vibes and Kaname stayed seated as she squinted around. Everyone was on edge. It showed when a loud thud of the door being opened making a few jump from their seats. The amount of effort gone in to protect their intelligence made them all bone weary and their nerves shredded. Chikaru and Shion looked around in shock at the fatigue of those present.

"I heard the red alert, I didn't think it would be this bad" Chikaru softly murmured to Miyuki as she stood next to her.

"The Trojan Horse put up one hell of a fight. Thanks to quick Intel we managed to block it off at the main instead of here." Miyuki informed her

"Ahh that would be from..."

"M! The Virus has been fully diverted to a sub branch. Code name…" the man seemed embarrassed "Haystack"

A soft giggle echoed the silent room, quite a few eyes landed on Chikaru. It really wasn't the time to start giggling; to them nothing seemed funny at all. Shion crossed her arms and gave her a mini glare with M and Tamao looking on in bewilderment.

"Sorry. That's Nagisa's temporary blocker for the Virus. If it's attacking that she's diverted it somewhat. Unless the main console is destroyed or the right codes put in, it will keep on attacking."

"We can only wait then…" Miyuki turned to face her personnel "Lower security level to level three. I want rotating shifts so everyone can have a break. I want eyes on that blocker at all times; let me know the second anything changes."

A chorus of "Yes ma'am" filled the room as some scattered and the rest relaxed in their seats a little. The darkened room seemed to shine brightly all at once, as the red lights went off and the bright lights came back on.

* * *

"You did what?!" Shizuma squealed

"I diverted the Trojan Horse somewhat but not completely. How many times..."

"No the other thing" Shizuma managed to get out as they ran along the corridors

"Oh that" Nagisa looked a bit sheepish as she rounded the corner "I accidently, unintentionally mind, may have set the self-destruct off as I was hacking into the sub routine of the Virus."

Shizuma caught it all as quickly as Nagisa said it. It still amazed her that she set the thing off in the first place, all the while dragging her down these corridors to god knows where. Shizuma barely caught the numbers of the floor they were on as it as soon made clear where they were. The sub deck. The bottom floor of the whole submarine. Wrestling the door open they entered quickly, finding the area a mess like the rest of the sub. The last shudder certainly did a number on the place. The etoile scanned the wreckage looking for anything they could use to escape as the annoying monotonous tone counted the timer down. Nagisa manoeuvred her way past the rubble to go deeper into the room.

"Why are we here?" Shizuma called out to her softly, just in case of remaining soldiers were feeling murderous.

"Don't you remember? Dear me, has my etoile forgotten what shipped the Virus in the first place?"

Shizuma caught the words she used; peering closer at the woman in front noticed a subtle blush on her cheeks. Not entirely sure if it was from all the running or the slip. _'My etoile huh? Has a nice ring to it. So I guess I'm not the only one after all. Focus…Focus! How on earth… wait how does she think that will help us?'_ Coming up beside her she now saw what her partner had in mind, with only a few minutes left to spare it really was the only choice available. Nagisa looked approvingly at the vessel in front of her, giving it a quick glance over. No noticeable dents or gaping holes spotted and as far as anyone knew it still worked. The mini sized sub was their ticket out. Shizuma slammed her palm on her head which brought Nagisa twirling to face her.

"What's wrong Shi?"

"This is your plan?" pointing to the mini sub

"Yes. How else are we to get out of here? We don't have long left, _you_ drive." Nagisa set off.

With mouth hanging open at her sudden job description Shizuma followed Nagisa with her eyes. Until it became far too much for her. Shizuma stormed quickly after her and grabbed on tight to her arm.

"What do you mean I drive?"

"You mean you can't?" Nagisa looked aghast at her

"When did I get to drive a sub at Miator? Who do you think I am?"

"Surely it can't be that hard" Nagisa tried to reason with her "You're the etoile for goodness sake!"

"I may be the etoile but I'm no James Bond. Shit!"

Looking downright scared Nagisa didn't know what to do as she glanced from agent to sub. Shizuma bit her lip as she tried to come up with a better escape plan. Yet the final minute of the countdown was drawing that much closer. There was no more time.

"I guess there's a first time for everything. Let's go" Shizuma ordered as they both scrambled quickly into the mini vessel.

**10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…0**

* * *

"M! News on the Trojan Horse!" Tamao shouted

The three women; Miyuki, Chikaru and Shion the two latters had stayed for the outcome, rushed to see what was happening. The Military joined them soon enough, each holding a cup of hot tea in their hands.

"The attack has finally stopped. No more signs that it's still activated." Tamao informed her yet no smile graced her face

"Phone call for General Kenjo. Line one" A woman called out indicating a phone near her.

The General quickly made her way over there, reaching for the phone the woman politely gave her the space needed and also the privacy. During that Kagome rushed into the control room, with her eyes only seeking her dear friend and ran over. Chikaru was more surprised since the girl barely left the safety zones or if she did she was accompanied by herself or the two troublemakers. A whispered discussion again ensued. There was one person who didn't like it.

"What is it with people and hushed conversations today?!" Miyuki complained with hands on hips.

"You will know sure enough M. Be a little patient." Shion told her

"That's strange coming from you" M teased her

Their banter came to abrupt stop when Chikaru straightened up, still staring hard at her underling. With shrug of shoulders and a somewhat sad expression Kagome raced her way out, no doubt to find her friends. Chikaru turned to face the others, with Momomi joining with them a second later. There was something wrong. Chikaru Minamoto was known for her motherly nature and kind aura yet this seemed to deflate her.

"What is it Chikaru?" Shion asked her worriedly

"Our agents in the field are usually tagged. However Kagome can find no trace of them. It suddenly stopped emitting about ten minutes ago." Chikaru stated

"What!" Tamao blurted out

"That's not all" Kaname loudly interrupted them boldly making her way closer to stand next to her second. "Reports have come in that there are lifeboats floating around near where we expected them to be. The local military are now picking them up, no sign of your agents M."

"The sub?" Shion asked

"Again we were told by the rescued men that the self-destruct was activated. I've asked one of them to check out reports of any underwater explosion."

A man stood from his seat and made his way quickly over to the General. A document was passed on to her with a sorrowful face. No good news.

"I'm sorry M, there was an explosion. The size you would expect from a submarine."

It had been a daunting day and seemed the news kept on getting worse. M's two top agents were MIA and no clue if they were dead or alive. A gentle squeeze of her arm pulled her out of it, as she stole a glance from Tamao who gave her a reassuring smile. A smile of her own soon made it to her own, one smaller and whimsical.

"I don't know why you're fretting so much" Momomi sniffed "Their trained hard for these types of missions. We all have been. Astraea chose us well each for our own skill. Aren't you forgetting something that they could have used?"

Confusion and startled looks were passed her way, the Colonel never really praised people or comforted as far as they knew and her attitude is always one of sly and manipulative. However it did get them to think. A wide smile from Tamao lifted their spirits as she exclaimed her hope.

"The mini sub of course!"

* * *

In an isolated cove on one of the many small isles, on a forgotten beach hidden away were signs of activity. A small vessel which had seen better days, since dents and loosely held panels were clearly visible. It was half parked on the golden sands as the tide hid the rest. Other pieces of debris littered the once clean beach, all shapes and sizes were washed ashore. A loud humming of an engine was heard, the noise becoming distinctly louder as it passed overhead. A small plane was circling, assessing the wreckage down below. The pilot caught a quick glimpse of something moving, just as he was about to head on back. Making doubly sure he circled one last time with nothing new coming to light headed on back to make his report. Down by the beach, hidden further beyond the planes sight were signs of movement, as one young woman tried to gain a higher vantage point.

"What are you doing?" Shizuma pulled Nagisa down by her side, the latter emitting a loud yelp of surprise.

The etoile pulled her into her arms, wrapping her up tight. Nagisa just stared into yellow eyes, those that had captivated so many with their intensity.

"Why are you signalling for rescue?" Shizuma playfully glared at her, letting one of her hands drift down her back relishing the touch.

"What do you mean why? Mission complete. All I want now is to give in my report so I can have a long hot bath, after that dunk in the sea. Plus I don't fancy making M mad, she gets too scary" Nagisa spoke hurriedly, trying to delay the wandering hands on her person.

The knowledgeable etoile knew what Nagisa was trying to do, raising a brow at her obvious stalling. She moved in closer, her hands held on tight to her, as she aimed for those soft lips she had barely touched but craved for. Shizuma got no resistance from her captive, as her lips finally tasted and savoured Nagisa's, getting lost in the moment. True she had kissed Nagisa before, but not like this, to feel much more than she had done before. Breaking away slightly to gulp in some air, she dove back in with passion, bringing her crush in closer to her. Shizuma wanted more, not for the satisfying pleasure as such, or for conquest as she had done numerous times in the past, but something much more than she had never dared to dream of. The simple kiss deepened, as a hand tangled into Shizuma's silver mane, pulling her head firmly and deeper into the souls searching kiss. Never ending the lip lock, Shizuma pulled Nagisa more securely against her, their bodies melding together, as she let herself fall back on the ground. They were lost in their own world, not worried about anything but each other.


	17. Chapter 17

**Epilogue…**

Dark clouds graced the sky, as heavy rain pelted the windows, heralding a brand new day, bringing with it a feeling of staying indoors. What little light the day brought shone through maroon curtains, highlighting the room dimly. A musical tone broke the monotony of pouring rain, alerting the owner of their presence. A mumbled groan joined the tone, as they finally awoke, somewhat at least. In the dimly lit room, on a covered double bed, a pale arm emerged, snaking its way out seeking out the annoying device. After much tapping and bumping their way along the bedside table, the phone was now clenched tight in victory. Silver luscious hair framing sleep filled eyes, peeked out from beneath the covers, looking to the caller ID. With a resigned sigh, knowing this couldn't be good news, pulled herself gently into a seating position, with long toned legs dangling over the edge she flipped open the phone to answer.

"Sorry to disturb you Shizuma, but something urgent needs your attention. You need to come in." A cool collected voice informed her

"Oh well there goes my plans for today" the silver haired woman sighed, looking fondly at the other occupant of her bed behind her.

"Oh yes if you know how to reach Miss Aoi, please inform her as well, her presence is also expected. Don't be late" with a click the call disconnected.

Shizuma closed her phone, laying it on her bedside table, ready to lie back in bed dismissing the call somewhat. Smiling as her plan was nicely interrupted, as two arms wrapped around her neck and a soft feather kiss on her cheek.

"Going somewhere?" the newly awoken asked

"Unfortunately." Shizuma leant back slightly into the embrace, loving the feel of the body pressed against hers.

"No fair." A grumbled voice muttered their displeasure "I was looking forward to spending more time with you today"

Shizuma pulled out of the arm lock, turning her body to face them. A smirk played across her lips.

"How much would you give to spend time with me today?" purring a little

"I don't have to give you anything." Scooting away further from Shizuma who looked at her in worry "It's obvious where you're going, with that look on your face."

Shizuma climbed back fully onto the bed, crawling over to the other woman, her back still facing her. Shizuma was about to talk to find out what she meant by that, but her question was soon answered.

"It's another woman isn't it? Of course it is. What else could it be" the voice sounding sarcastic

Shizuma's eyes widened at that, true it was a woman on the other end of the line, but Miyuki was her boss and friend, not some other piece of skirt. It made her frown just thinking about it. Not to mention what Tamao would do to her even if she tried. She decided to be blunt about her answer, reaching out to grab the woman pulling her firmly onto the bed. After straddling her for extra insurance, though if she were to be honest she loved how it made her look, as she gazed seductively into red eyes. It was then she finally realised that, she was trying very hard not to laugh. Shizuma glared at her hard.

"What's so funny?"

"Shouldn't you be trying to contact a Miss Aoi to let her know of M's request?" trying very hard to sound innocent "She could be very busy and hard to get a hold of, considering the amount of work she has."

It slowly dawned on Shizuma, that the little red imp under her had a very, very good point. Leaning in closer, skin touching skin, she nibbled on her ear making the woman shiver in pleasure. As from the corner of her eye, she saw another mobile open with the symbol of Astraea showing. The trouble this woman does to her. All of it good.

"You're right. Miyuki will have to wait for me to find her to tell her. Could take a good few hours" Shizuma whispered in her ear.

"I wonder where she could be." Nagisa whispered back as she started to kiss her way up her neck to find soft lips seeking hers.

It would be a hell of a long time before those two decide to think about anything other than each other. Especially the phone call.

**Astraea…**

Miyuki had just put down the phone, as she finished her call to her best friend. Her mind told her that no matter what time she sent for Shizuma, she would always arrive late. Miyuki had the feeling that this time, would be the same only accompanied by a certain redhead agent of hers. Her musings were cut short, when a familiar blunette knocked twice on her door and entered, carrying with her a tray holding the much appreciated tea she had requested earlier. Tamao walked quickly over, not spilling a drop, placing it within easy reach but out of the way of the documents.

"Did you contact Nagisa?" Miyuki asked whilst pouring both of them a cup

"I did. She said she will be here as you requested" Tamao informed her holding a smug smile

Miyuki huffed at what she just heard "I don't think Shizuma has plans for them to come in on time today. Knowing her as I do."

"You don't know Nagisa M. She will find some way to get them both here; she takes it seriously, though I guess they might be a little late. Can't be as bad as Shizuma for sure." Tamao looked a little worried now

"I can't believe their still hiding the fact that they are together" Miyuki rolled her eyes, sipping her favourite blend.

Tamao just stared at Miyuki, looking like she was trying not to laugh out right. Miyuki caught the face, wondering what she said that was so funny. They had been working closely together for a long time, enough to know the other pretty well, but this flummoxed her.

"What did I say?!" looking a bit unsure

"Miyuki do you honestly, care if they are together?"

"If you put it like that, no I don't, as long as it doesn't get in the way of their missions. But since she's my best friend I'll always worry and care. I can always use it, to tease Shizuma in any case." looking delighted at the thought. Tamao just laughed with Miyuki joining in after a few seconds.

_Their lives were uncertain enough as it was, any mission they were sent on could be their last. To truly live their life to the fullest; they loved when they felt it, they lived every day as if was their last. That is their way of life, to sacrifice so much for the sake of everyone else, knowing that no thanks or recognition would be given for their hard work, only with their own knowledge do they know what they have accomplished. The bravery of many goes unrewarded and unnoticed by all._

**End Mission One**

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**AN: I hope you enjoyed this adventure! Please let me know if you would like another story written in the future. But for now I am off to write my finale Mythical Few: Rebirth which will take a while since I want to make it the finale it and you deserve. R/R please :)**


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